Release
by Phoenixofdarkness62
Summary: One girl with a wish that could make or break her, one fox spirit of unknown origin with limitless ablities, a boy with the ability to attract spirits, and a supernatural tradition. How will this end for our dear charactors?
1. Chapter 1: Preview of what to come

"Oh Yuko, I'm here!" Watanuki called as he came into the shop. No answer was received. The halls were strangely quiet like in a horror film when the family is killed or something. He sniffed the air, no smell of blood or anything.

"_That's strange."_ He thought. Taking off his shoes. _"She'd usually come up and scare me by now."_ He strolled down the hall to Yuko's self-proclaimed, 'drinking' room. He passed by looking for Yuko, or Mero, or Maru, or even Mokena. (he didn't really want to find Mokena, but it was better then no one.) A whisper of voices echoed in the halls. He was drawn back to the 'drinking' room at the sound of voices. Well at least he thought they were in that room.

"…So you think that she has a wish?" Yuko's voice asked slightly muffled. A shadow of an elderly woman nodded. Her voice confirmed that they were there. He then cursed himself for missing the beginning of the conversation.

"It's inevitable that she does." The elderly woman replied. Yuko sat back in her chair, and sighed. That was strange; Yuko was never taken off guard by someone's wish no matter what is happened to be. She had never acted this way before. This girl they were talking about must be special. She swished the little sake she had left in her cup around.

"What do you think her wish will be?" Yuko asked taking another, and last, swig of her sake. The elder woman nodded thoughtfully, in contemplation. Watanuki cracked the door open a little; it was Yuko's fortuneteller. He wondered what she was doing over.

"I believe she'll ask to be released from it or something along those lines." The woman replied. Yuko nodded, knowingly. Watanuki really wanted to know what, or whom they were talking about.

"With that will come a terrible price. One I'm not sure that girl will be able to fulfill." She replied somber. Watanuki was shocked; this girl was _defiantly_ special. Perhaps she was even more unusual then himself. He returned to looking in when he was met with Yuko's eye.

"Ahh!" he hollered landed back a bit. She smirked, an evil glint in her eye.

"As punishment for eavesdropping I order you to make us the most fancy dish you can mange, and I demand the finest sake be bought for this occasion." She pointed at him. He was frightened, but at least it didn't count against him, defiantly manageable on his part.

"And this all comes from your pocket." She announced loudly, pointing even more at him. He froze on the floor. This couldn't be happening. Not after seeing Himawari today. It couldn't have, yet Yuko expression said different.

"NOOOOO!!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and tears in his eyes. Which broke the spell of being frozen and bringing everyone back.

"Comes from your pocket, Comes from your pocket!" Maru and Moro chanted appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Mokena appeared with them, grinning that bunny like grin.

"SAKE!" he announced happily, bouncing onto Watanuki's head. Of course, Mokena would be drawn out of anywhere at the mention of sake. Watanuki sighed, and his head dropped low in depression. Horrible, and all he had done was listening in. This was possible the best welcoming he had ever gotten… not.

"Don't be so glum, you have Mokena as your guide, and partner in sake shopping!" he announced, bounding now to the door. He dragged himself over to meet the odd creature, time to get going. And yes, he was the luckiest guy EVER to have a sake-shopping partner that wasn't even an animal classified by science. He would need all the time he could get. The fortuneteller smiled warmly at him from the room.

"I'm sure whatever you prepare will be delish." She said, and that gave him hope. People like that always did. He smiled back at her, at least she wasn't against him.

"Today Watanuki, today!" Yuko said pointed to the door. Her voice made his hopes dash so he left shortly after.

* * *

He ended up preparing a very expensive French meal, with the best sake he could buy. It included snails, and handmade croissants. It took him over three hours to make it all and present it, but it gave him pride knowing he had done a great job.

"Mhmm!" Yuko had tasted the just out of the oven croissants. His pride swelled.

"Yup, Mhmm." Mokena had replied to the snails. He grinned.

"Snails! Snails, he made snails!" Mero and Moro had chimed. He didn't know how to response but he took it as a compliment.

"Simplely fantastic." The fortuneteller replied after finishing. That alone was worth all the effort. Everyone enjoyed it, and by the time Yuko's fortuneteller had left Yuko and Mokena were passed out on the ground from all the booze. They slumbered happily with drunken expressions on their faces, but at least they were content.

"I'm not paid enough to do this." He grumbled dragging them both to her bed. He tucked her in. Then wiped his brow from the sweat. She continued to smile sweetly at whatever she was dreaming of.

"… sake…" she muttered. Oh course, that's what she dreamed about. Oddly enough as well neither of them smelled of booze, but with such an odd shop, and odd people running it, it was expected almost. Mokena was silent, but happy.

"_Then again I'm not paid at all."_ He thought, looking out at the half moon. When would he have paid his price, to get rid of this power?


	2. Chapter 2: Odd encounter

Authors Note: Please forgive me if I spell a name wrong, I spell it like I hear it. Also all feedback is helpful! Please enjoy! And I do not own Xxxholic.

* * *

Days went by and not a costumer with an extremely unusual wish came in. They were all just filling in Yuko about their progresses with their wishes. The woman with an internet problem, the twins that had crushes on Domoki, Kohane-chan, and the Zashikwarashi all came to visit which, was a nice change of pace for him. He didn't mind visiting with them.

His days were pleasant, and he was seeing Himawari a lot. Which always was a blessing, no matter what Yuko said. Her face and smile always warmed his heart. Tampopo was doing well, as well and chirping happily.

Sadly though he saw Domoki just as much. He wasn't as unexpressive as before, but he still pissed Watanuki off. Eating all his home cooked meals everyday and all.

With them and all the fun times they shared though he wasn't complaining. Yuko gave light jobs and easy and simple work around the shop. He even got off work early one day.

* * *

Watanuki had been heading over to meet Himawari for some dinner together… with Domoki too. He stopped in the middle of a shopping center looking at a scene unfolding on the floor below him.

"Sister, are you alright?" a boy about his age cried bending down to tend to a girl. She had fallen, or more like collapsed without a cause or warning. He started to help her up, but she slapped his hand away.

"I don't need your help, baka. Someone else got hurt not me." She snapped heaving herself up. Many things some great and some small marred her body. Scars covered a lot of her, some pink with fresh healing and some snow white from ageing. Multiple bruises were formed and healing all in different colors, and different stages. Cuts were all over her fingers, and band-aids covered her legs. It was odd to see such a myriad of injuries on a single person. Each wound was completely different and seemed to belong to someone else but not the girl. Of course some were similar and went together, but none of them seemed to be from something the girl had gone and done. Many people started to stare at her and observe her. Their eyes were either filled with pity for the girl's unfortunate state of injury. Others eyes were filled with disgust that the girl could even be seen in public with so many ugly marks, and disfigurements. Watanuki didn't look at the latter of those people, they made him sick.

But the way she had gotten up, presented herself, and started walking away looked so graceful. She was like a dancer in a young girl's jewelry box pretty and young, seeming to glide like a swan. The way she walked was so commanding like a soldier, but elegant and beautiful like a model. He wondered if she was an ex-model or something. The girl didn't seem the type to get injured easily, yet her body contradicted itself. It had him completely confused as to what to make of her.

"I… was just trying to help." The boy started. She glared at him, her eyes pitch black. Watanuki had never seen eyes that darkly colored. Must be contacts, he reasoned with himself. No one could be born with eyes like that. Unless she was… no he shook his head. He shouldn't conclude to things like that, normal people wouldn't. Definitely contacts, she was wearing black contacts, he continued to reason with himself, and convincing himself. The boy reached for her arm and she slapped it away again, harder. Her slap had started to form a red mark on his skin.

"You and our damn family have done enough. I don't want your pity, stupid brother." She glared at him. He looked honestly hurt by her words and her glare. " I get enough of that at school and elsewhere. Just leave me alone and stop getting hurt so damn much." She said storming away quickly, like a hurricane, the eye of a hurricane at least. It was oddly beautiful. The crowd had heard her and a few were offended, but no one not even those offended said or did anything. It was not their concern that the girl was harsh and had slapped away her brother. The boy looked like he was going to reach out and say something to her, but he stopped. She disappeared from sight. Watanuki couldn't help but come up and talk to the boy.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The boy looked at him in surprise. He started backing away.

"I'm fine. It's her I'm worried about." He said bolting away quickly in the direction she had vanished. Watanuki looked out for him, until he too disappeared from sight. The crowd mumbled at the strange interaction of the boy and girl, but quickly moved along to continue filling out their needs with no regard for the boy and girl. Humans are creatures of habit, if it does not pertain directly to them; they forget about it and disregard it. After all, it doesn't matter what happens to either one of them.

"That was odd." He replied staring off in the direction both had left. He shook it off as well. After all he was human.

* * *

When he went back to Yuko's store the next day he told her all about it. Her eyes slightly narrowed as he described the girl.

"And then he-" "Did the girl have any damage to her face, or head?" she interrupted. He looked up at her stumped.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Bruises, scars, peeling, freckles, did her head look misshaped?" she filled in. He thought back.

"I guess there were scars on her face, and some freckles too, but that's normal for the most part. Nothing serious or really disfiguring, I think. She was to far away to really tell. Her head shape looked normal too, why do you ask?" he asked to her. She took another puff from her pipe. She looked out into her yard her face unreadable and her eyes dull.

"Tomorrow when the moon is full, we will have a guest like her. Be prepared for anything, and pack an overnight bag. You'll need it." She replied. He looked at her, overnight trips where unusual; this person coming must be special. He was about to ask her about it, but thought it best to just wait for the day to come. He could use the excitement.


	3. Chapter 3: An Unwanted Power

**Author's note**: This takes place before Watanuki learns that Maru and Moro protect the shop, and keep it in another world. I don't own Xxxholic!

* * *

Watanuki arrived extra early at the shop, in preparation for their special customer. He didn't get any instructions from Yuko so he started cleaning, anything and everything. He knew how dusty and unclean the shop could get. In the kitchen he found a small note dictating everything that would be needed to be done and how to do it properly.

He set to work, and did it all to the letter. It was much harder to clean be directed to do it in such a way as he was being told, but he knew Yuko had a reason. Or he hoped she had a reason. He had just finished when she arrived back, with Mero and Moro in tow.

"I thought they couldn't leave the shop." He said, confused.

"They can, just not into your world, so I took them to a different world. They've been working so hard lately." She smiled letting go of their hands.

"Fun, fun, that was fun!" they both announced racing into the shop. Giggling and happy, so he guessed that they were fine.

"_Working hard doing what?"_ he wondered.

"Let's go Watanuki, we need to stay inside for now." Yuko called, breaking his thoughts.

"Coming!" he called back to her, and looking over his shoulder. There was smoke rising from a building, nothing nearby, but it had him on edge, and gave him an ominous feeling in his gut. He hoped that nothing bad had happened to anyone he knew.

"Want to call Himawari?" Yuko said, noting his expression. He nodded, nervously. After all Himawari did live in that direction, not that he exactly where though. He took up the phone, and called Himawari's cell, no answer.

He tried her house, and luckily got her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, concern rising out.

"I noticed a fire, and got a strange feeling in my gut, and I knew you lived in that direction…" he trailed off.

"I'm fine Watanuki, nothing to worry about. I'm glad you called, though since the fire did happen at a store I left just a little earlier. If I hadn't left when I did I could have gotten hurt." She said, in a slightly damper tone. He sighed in relief; she was safe.

"Glad to know, that you're okay." He said.

"Alright, I have to go now. See you tomorrow at school." She said chipper as usual. He smiled; leave it to Himawari to be cheerful.

"Bye," he replied, and they both hung up.

"Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise. Not only had he talked to her, but it was uninterrupted by Domoki. Plus he had been brave enough to call her house too!

"Such a glorious thing," he said on cloud nine again, and twirling around.

"What is?" Yuko asked peeking out at him.

"What is, what is?" chorused Maru and Moro.

"Talking to Himawari without that guy Domeki in our way." He replied twirling in greater joy.

"You sure do dance funny, Watanuki." Mokena interrupted his joyous moment. That caused Watanuki to stop fast.

"Why you!" he said, suddenly angry and grabbed the small black creature.

"Help! Help! A Watanuki monster is attacking me! Help!" Mokena cried. Maru and Moro started to 'save' him when a knock was heard at the door. They all froze, could it be their special customer? Yuko for once got the door and stared at the freighted man.

"False alarm everyone, Watanuki make some tea." She stated and it all returned to normal. Well, at least as normal as this shop could get.

The man had his wish granted, and he left thanking her. He had given Yuko his eye color, which was green. It changed to a lesser green and wasn't as vivid as before. The man was elated to know that his wife should be happy again by the end of the week.

"Make sure, to bring her here to finish the deal, at the end of the week." She reminded him as he left. He nodded and hurried off to go to his wife.

"So when will our special customer be here?" Watanuki asked, serving some sake.

"Whenever she finally comes here." She replied taking a slow sip, "Whenever she comes here."

* * *

It was nearly eleven at night, and Watanuki was dressed for bed when the door was rapped upon. He dragged himself up, and opened it.

"Welcome to-" he started, but the girl had already kicked her shoes off, and started for where Yuko was. Blood trickled onto the floor.

"_More to clean up,"_ he thought, after he had spent all that time cleaning the shop up for this special guest who still hadn't come. Some customers were just plain rude.

He followed her though, but they were already situated. She sat across from Yuko. And before he could even get a good look at her, Yuko ordered that sake, water, and medical supplies be brought in.

"For wh-" then he saw how badly the girl was bleeding. He raced out without another word.

* * *

Her wounds were tended and he sat down, on the floor cushion, even with both of them. Yuko puffed from her pipe.

"Why don't you start with your name? " she asked. The girl looked at her coldly, her eyes like smoldering coal. Once she relaxed a bit though, she started.

"My name is Yukiko." She started, tense. Watanuki was a bit surprise her name meant…

"That names mean 'rare child', does it not?" Yuko asked. Yukiko scowled at her.

"Yeah, yeah it does." She growled at her.

"And why did you get that name?" Yuko asked her point blank.

"Because of my 'gift' " she replied.

"And what would that be?" Yuko asked.

" My girt is absorbing everyone in my family's accidents. They fall down the stairs and should get a bruise; I get the bruise and pain. They stumbled and strap their knee, I get the scrape and pain and they walk away with nothing, not even pain. It's always like that since, I was born!" She snapped, anger rising from her. Yuko looked at her, expressionless. Yukiko calmed herself down.

"Sounds like a wonderful gift, to be able to help your family like that." She replied cool, calm. Yuko wasn't one to be affected by other people's emotions, which is why this made her a great shopkeeper.

"Wonderful? You think that's WONDERFUL? It's a pain in my ass! I don't even do anything, I haven't done anything and I get stuck with this crap! Do you know how many times I've had to change schools to cover up this power because no one understands!?! How many friends I've lost because they didn't understand and thought I was a freak! How much pity and fear I get? DO YOU RELIZE THAT THIS POWER IS A CURSE?!?" she screamed standing up, revealing all the new burns.

"My cousin escaped the blaze without a thing. Then as I walked home, I suddenly start breaking out in burns and pain that is so unbearable all I could to do is scream and run away from my classmates like a freak! I'm going to have to change schools AGAIN for the 15th time in the past year and a half! This isn't a blessing, it's a curse!" she screamed at Yuko slamming her fists on the table. It was too much and she fainted.

"Yuko! You shouldn't have-" Watanuki started.

"Don't touch her." She stated. He froze barely and inch away from her.

"I'll explain in a minute. Maru, Moro go get _that_ kimono." She instructed. They dashed out to retrieve it. She pulled his hands away, and pushed Yukiko an even distance away. She checked her pulse.

"If you touch her now, her power will transfer to you. Or she'll absorb your power, and we don't want that." Yuko said standing over her. She laid her down on the floor.

"Watanuki leave the room while I change her." She said just before Maru and Moro appeared with a wrapped package. The kimono he assumed. Then he left as told.


	4. Chapter 4: A Wish made

Author's notes: I don't own Xholic. Please feel free to give reviews I really appreciate them and they help motivate me to publish more chapters. So please enjoy.

* * *

"Watanuki you may come in now" Yuko said. He slid the door back, and was amazed at how beautiful Yukiko looked. The kimono was purely black with red butterflies and plants as the designs, it fit her perfectly and well.

"So why does she need that kimono?" he asked Yuko.

"So that her ability is repressed enough so that she can make her wish and accept her payments without interruption from a family members' accident." She replied, calm. He nodded and Yukiko awoke.

"What happened?" she groaned holding her head. She looked down to be greeted by the sight of the kimono that suited her so well. Her eyes narrowed then returned too normal.

"On second thought what am I doing in this?" she asked feeling the silk of the kimono. Almost happily she was observing the fabric and how it was put together. That was the first time Watanuki had seen anything remotely close to a smile cross her face.

"_At least she seems capable of being happy."_ He thought to himself.

"To repress your 'power' in order for you to make your wish." Yuko replied.

"Wish? Wishes are for fools who can't make their dreams reality, and have to rely on fantasies to make themselves happy." Yukiko stated.

"Perhaps you don't realize this, but this shop isn't in the 'normal' world. And Watanuki and I" she motioned, "Are not ordinary people. This shop grants wishes for a price equal to the wish."

Yukiko furrowed her brows together. "So you can grant any wish?" she asked after a short contemplation.

"Yes, as long as you can pay for it." Yuko replied. Yukiko looked a bit confused.

"Any wish at all, even if it means inflicting harm on others because of it?" she asked. Yuko nodded her eyes unexpressive.

"Yes, in theory if the price is right, I can. So do you have a wish?" Yuko replied. Yukiko bit her lip… nervously.

This took Watanuki by surprise the girl didn't seem the type to be nervous only headstrong and proud. She rubbed the silk in between her index finger and her thumb. Finally after many moments of contemplation, she decided.

"Yes, I do. I want to be released from this 'power' or curse." Yukiko replied. Yuko glanced up, almost…. Well almost something odd in her eyes. Something between fear and confusion, but he couldn't really tell. Watanuki didn't think it was that odd, if this gift caused her pain of course she'd want to be freed from it. It only made sense that if you have the means to avoid pain that you would. Yuko grabbed her sake, and drank.

"I can do that, but it comes with a price." She replied warily.

"What is it? I'll do almost anything to be rid of this." She replied, pleading.

"You'll have to forgive them, and do a small series of tasks for me in exchange." Yuko replied slowly, deliberately.

"Forgive 'them'? Define 'them', please if you would." Yukiko asked. Yuko raised a brow lightly, and touched her sake cup again.

"Your family, you'll have to forgive them for all the damage they caused." Yuuko replied. Yukiko's eyes seemed to churn like a storm in rage at this. She stood up, and opened her mouth as if to yell in objection, but stopped and sat back down. Watanuki relaxed, she seemed less violent then before.

"Alright, I will. What about the series of tasks?" she asked. Yuuko glanced down at Watanuki.

"You'll have to protect him for two weeks." She replied pointing at him.

"Why? He's a big boy he can handle himself." She snapped, a bit upset.

"Because that's what I told you to do. You can either do this and be rid of your power, or not and be stuck with it forever." Yuuko replied, harshly. Yukiko sighed, defeated.

"Fine I will, but how?" She asked. Yuuko smiled simply.

"Once you read and sign this contract, you'll know." She replied. A contract paper came floating down, and a pen to go with it. Yukiko grabbed it and read it.

…

"Figures, it'd come to that." She mumbled halfway through it. She continued on without any more complaints, and signed it.

"Done, so when can I start progressing towards my goal?" she asked handing over the contract and pen to Yuuko. She grinned.

"Right now if you'd like. Watanuki will come with you to your home, as you apologize to make sure it's sincere. Once that's done, the pain will subside shortly, but the marks won't." Yuuko said. Yukiko smiled warmly.

"Watanuki, would you mind?" she asked.

"Not at all." He replied, "We can even leave now if you'd like." She smiled at him politely and got up following him. She stopped before she walked out the door of the room.

"Am I allowed to keep the kimono?" she asked to Yuuko.

"Consider it a gift for when your 'power' is gone." She smiled, sadly almost. Yukiko smiled back in appreciation.

Once Watanuki and Yukiko were gone Yuuko leaned her chair and pulled out her pipe and some more sake.

"Hopefully, this path will be prosperous for both of you." She stated into the night.

"I hope you don't mind this. If you'd like you can stay overnight." Yukiko asked happily. Watanuki couldn't help but grin back.

"Thank you for your offer, but Yuuko is already taking me in for the night." He replied.

"Alright then." She replied.

"_Sure is different from when I first met her."_ He thought.

"Sorry about the whole mood swing thing," she said aloud. Watanuki was startled, could this girl read minds as well?

"It comes with the power. I just get so upset when someone else gets hurt, and then I absorb it. They all know about it, but they don't even try to be more careful, in fact sometimes it feels like they're doing it on purpose to me, ya know?" she said almost explaining it to him.

"I know the feeling, I get that kind of thing from a… acquaintance. He takes advantage of my kindness sometimes." He said relating to her. She looked over at him.

"But he helps you out right? Later on with something, or he's grateful for it." She said. Watanuki thought back, he guessed it was true.

"Yeah, I guess he is." He smiled. She smiled back, "That's great, and technically he's not taking advantage of you. Like my family does… to… me…" she trailed off. Suddenly it must have all made sense to her. They walked in silence.

"_Just when I was starting to connect with her…"_ he thought.

"Don't tell them that I said that alright, please?" she asked looking down.

"I won't." he replied. She stopped at a beautiful, but old temple similar to Domoki's. Yukiko sighed, and looked up at the fierce guardian statues.


	5. Chapter 5: Unusual circumstances

Author's note: Please forgive me on the spelling of Watanuki's last name! I couldn't find the spelling of it anywhere! And all the side carters that are more related to Yukiko then the main characters will not make any more 'major' appearances after this chapter, well at least not in the long run. (for however long this will run.) Also feel free to leave comments on what I can improve on! I really appreciate them!~

* * *

She looked up at the statues again and pushed the gate to the side. Then she bowed slightly, and said, "Welcome to our shrine, please be cautious as you enter there are spirits are resting here."

His eyes widened a fraction, but he followed her in. It was true, their shrine did house spirits all sorts. Animals, human, and some he just couldn't explain. Several fox spirits appeared, and dancing around at Yukiko's heels. She stopped and crouched down and held out her hand. The foxes nuzzled against and continued to nuzzle her all around.

"Can you see them too?" Watanuki asked, point blank. She turned and smiled at him.

"Nope, not at all. But I can sense them, and when they touch me I feel a warm sensation around me, that's how I know they're there." She said standing up. She turned to the larger compound of the shrine grounds.

"My family is waiting for us in there." She pointed, "There are quite a few of us, so be careful as to what you say." She continued walking down to the large compound. Watanuki got a strong feeling in his gut that they shouldn't enter. Each step he took it got worse.

"Umm, Yukiko maybe we shouldn't bother your family now." He started.

"Nonsense, they'll be happy to see you. I promise." She said opening the door. The knot in his stomach loosened when he peered in to be greeted by just fewer than twenty nice and normal looking people.

"Sorry for coming home so late." Yukiko bowed. Watanuki bowed as well, just to be polite.

"It's fine, just well… something happened. Yukiko and we need to make sure that everything's in order." The elderly woman in back began. Watanuki was sure it must be her grandmother, perhaps even her great grandmother.

"Alright, what is it grandmother?" Yukiko asked as she sat, and pulled up a floor cushion for Watanuki. He politely sat, and waited.

"Whose with you?" she asked, sharply. Watanuki flinched back at her words.

"This my new friend, and charge Kimahiro Watanuki." Yukiko replied calm.

"Charge? You have no assigned charges Yukiko." The elder said.

"That's what I'm going to explain once you're down with your business grandmother." She stated still calm, her voice clear but emotionless. Her grandmother tightened her lips a bit, but said nothing against it.

"As said before, I have to clear something up. Yukiko did you get a new bruise on your left ankle tonight?" she asked. Discreetly, Yukiko checked her ankle, no bruise.

"No grandmother, I do not have a bruise on my ankle." She said. The rest of the family started talking in hushed voices. Watanuki had a bad feeling about where this was going, but was to scared to speak to Yukiko.

"Odd seeing that your mother twisted hers tonight. You aren't doing anything to stop your gift are you Yukiko?" she asked. Yukiko looked down nervous. She brushed her hands against the silk of her new kimono then she took a small glance at Watanuki, and gathered her courage.

"As a matter of fact, grandmother I am." She said boldly looking her grandmother right in the eye, which she hadn't done yet once. Her family started mumbling louder, and some complaints were being made.

"What was that, Yukiko?" he grandmother said loudly stopping all other conversations going on. It was dead silent. Watanuki's stomach was churning badly. Yukiko took a deep breath.

"I made a wish to be rid of this power, and helping Watanuki is part of my exchange. The first part though, is forgiving you all for causing me more pain then necessary." She said aloud. He family's mouths were open in shock, what did she say?

"What was that Yukiko?" a younger looking woman said. Watanuki assumed that was Yukiko's mother. "Did you just say what I think you just said to our family? That we're causing you more pain then necessary?" she said tightly. Yukiko stood up so she was taller then everyone.

"Just, I did just say that. And you know what? I forgive you mother, I forgive you grandmother, I forgive all of you from the bottom of my heart." She said loudly.

"Yukiko! How dare you!" her mother screamed as she smacked her daughter across the face, hard. Yukiko took it without a tear shed. Her mother's hand swelled from the hit.

"Are you alright Yukiko?" Watanuki said standing up, and taking a look at her face. It was swelling, and a small cut was forming as well. He looked at her mother's hands; the hand she'd used to slap Yukiko had a ring on it.

"I'm fine Watanuki. Please, sit down." She said politely firm her eyes anxious. The kind of firmness she had with her brother the other day. He shook his head, but did as asked.

"Yukiko! What are you wearing? That kimono is far to beautiful for such a horrid child, take it off this instant." Her mother demanded. Yukiko looked her straight in the face.

"If I take it off will you forgive me? Will all of you forgive me?" she demanded. They looked at her shocked. Yet, none of them said a thing.

"No! Why on earth would we, you insulted your grandmother your own flesh and blood." He mother said for them.

"In order for forgiveness to be made, both ends have to accept it." She said, solidly and unwavering.

"Yukiko-" "That's enough from you!" the grandmother snapped. Yukiko's mother retreated to her sport seated at the right hand of grandmother.

"Yes, since you put it as such, we will. All of us will." Grandmother announced. The rest of the family gathered, nodded in approval. Yukiko slightly smiled, in a victory like way.

"Now that that's done. Yukiko please removed your kimono. I'd like to look at it." She asked, firm. Yukiko must have gotten that from her. She did as asked, and handed it over. Thank goodness she had an under dress.

The mother took the kimono first, and examined it. Her pupils get wider and wider with greed as she registered in her brain how much the kimono probably cost. Watanuki's stomch churned at how she was respecting it. Yukiko was like a statue, a beautiful angel like statue. Not one smirks, or looks of repulsion crossing her face.

Finally she handed the kimono over to her mother. The second she took it her hands dropped it. They started shaking, as well as Yukiko's mother's hands. The family started glaring at Yukiko.

"It's alright," grandmother declared, shaking visibly but not in her voice, "It just has a strong repression spell interwoven with it. It's not dangerous."

The family relaxed, but was still on guard. Just then from the corner of the room a small pure black fox nudged the door open. It took a quick look around and spotted Yukiko and it's tail, tails, wagged as it came over and sat down on Yukiko's lap.

Her face went from unexpected to pleasant, as she carefully stroked the fox.

"Come back here, you spirit!" another girl cried walking in. She froze and bowed when she realized what she had walked in on.

"I do apologize madam." She said, in a low bow. Grandmother nodded, returning the kimono to Yukiko. Yukiko took it, and gentle scooted the black fox onto Watanuki's lap, where it rolled its shoulders in pleasure.

"But that little trickster, just won't finish the bonding ceremony with me, and as you well know, he's my chosen guardian." She said. Yukiko was now finishing tying her obi, and reseated down. The fox gave Watanuki's hand an appreciation lick, and then resettled on Yukiko's lap. The girl's eyes narrowed in anger as the fox sat on guard on Yukiko's lap.

"You little bit-"

"Bite your tongue, young lady." Grandmother interfered, harshly. She clammed up instantly, but couldn't hold it.

"But she's been stealing Kuro'o, from me since we found out he was _my_ guardian." She spat, glaring completely evil at Yukiko. Yukiko kept her serene face, and continued to stroke 'Kuro'o' who was tensely glaring back at the girl. It seemed possible that the black fox hated the other girl, and was completely charmed with Yukiko. But you never know he could be wrong.

"We'll settle this once and for all then." Grandmother stated.

"I think I'll be leaving then." Watanuki stated standing up. I hand clasped onto his wrist, or more like jaws from a white fox spirit.

"But once involved you may not leave." Grandmother said, a smirk forming.


	6. Chapter 6: Final desicions

Watanuki's eyes constricted. What did she mean he couldn't leave? He wasn't involved with anything that had gone on. Well he was, but not by choice. He was about to vocalize this when a gong sounded.

"It has been a great many years since this has happened. Two young priestess's competing for one fox guardian." A man started. He clammed up; whatever was going on he was defiantly a part of it now.

"It's just like her to get me involved with something I have no reason to be involved with." He mumbled thinking of Yuko.

"NOW," the man in charge announced scaring him, "We shall see which priestess our guardian and patron fox will choose."

"Patron fox?" he asked.

"Why yes, the black fox is our patron spirit for our shrine. He is born once a generation, and only after the old priest or priestess dies and he has had ten years to mourn." The boy from the other day said.

"Wow," was all he managed to say. That little black fox sure was a big deal here.

"Yeah, he's magnificent isn't he? Kuro'o just isn't a good enough name for him. Plus Akane isn't grand enough in abilities for him." He said; as the other man continued to explain.

"Grand enough abilities?" Watanuki asked.

"Yeah, we're ranked based on abilities we can perform. Akane has minimum abilities compared to me. She can only do small purifications, and clean. I have average abilities. I can exhort small spirits, purify, and other medium ranked tasks. I don't have to do cleaning or anything like that. Yukikio has truly extraordinary abilities. Even though she can't see the spirits she is still completely in tune with them. No evil comes here because of her. She just naturally purifies everything she touches. Everything becomes calm with her near. Her serene disposition is contagious; once you're in her presence your hooked on whatever emotion she's channeling at the time. She takes all our pain away, and thinks nearly nothing of it. Until now." He stopped.

"I wonder why only now she's started to think about it." Watanuki thought. Anyone would wonder why he or she was possibly constantly in pain. Even try to do something about it, but she had only started thinking of it now? She was a strange one all right.

"But still, she's got top abilities even greater then our grandmother's." he finished with a grin. Watanuki grinned back uneasily. Even though these people seemed kind enough, there was still something completely off about them; something bad, twisted and evil bad.

"Now bring forth our medium!" he announced gesturing to Watanuki.

"What? Me?" he asked pointing to himself. They all nodded, calmly. Who else would it be? They all thought.

Yukiko was on the right side of room, facing her cousin. She was a good 10 to 15 yards away from her, and completely calm. Her eyes were closed, but opened as Watanuki walked up.

Akane was complete opposite. Her face twisted in disgust and contempt as Watanuki came up. He could feel her distaste in his gut, which churned horribly. He could practically read what was going through her mind.

"Stupid Yukiko, bringing that stranger here. He's not special; I don't even see why he wastes his time with this fraud. I should be his protector; I've got better abilities then her. I think that's it." She stopped.

"Now before we begin…"

"I'd like to raise the stakes!" Akane announced, literally causing everyone to gasp in shock. But grandmother nodded allowing her to proceed.

"Yukiko if the patron fox chooses me instead of you, then two things happen." She started waiting for Yukiko to acknowledge her.

"Yes?" she asked calmly.

"You leave this shrine forever, never to return." She said. The room turned cold, and all the now present spirit foxes bristled at the scruffs of their necks. The black fox was calm. Watanuki could feel the tension slicing through the air, uncontrolled. Yukiko looked at her to finish.

"And…" Akane continued, "Watanuki becomes my charge." With that remark Yukiko's mood shifted visibly. Her black eyes grew colder, and started smoldering with rage. He did a double take when a red ring started around her iris.

"No one is going to do anything." He felt her thinking. "He's my ticket out of this, no one will DARE take that chance away from me."

Yet, no one but he heard this. The black fox that was sitting in his lap sighed; disappointed almost. Tension from before was brought back ten fold, this Akane was in for it.

"Start calling the fox to you!" the gong handler said, banging it once more.

Akane took this to heart, and started calling him to her. Pleading with him, but it didn't leave Watanuki's lap. It sighed bored, and still disappointed. Akane was near tears, as it didn't respond.

Yukiko was calm, and in a lotus position in her kimono. Not seeming to do anything. No call, no pleading, no nothing. Just calmness, and a zen smile.

Akane turned her anger to Yukiko. "Why don't you even try!" she screamed.

"Because the patron fox has his choice of who, he wants to be bonded with. It's not something you can force, if we did that it would be madness." Yukiko replied.

"Then call it, maybe that's what it wants is to be called by you to make it's decision." Akane reasoned.

"But then that results in your banishment from here, if it chooses me." Yukiko replied calm as ever.

"What?" Akane asked horrified.

"When you make a bet, you must fulfill it to the letter. If not the spirits will chase you forever." She said. Akane went pale. Her whole body trembled with fright. It couldn't be true could it?

"You can try to avoid it if you wish, but hitsugen will always find a way to catch up with you." Yukiko replied.

"Yami no Tenshi!" she commanded, and the black fox came to her side obediently. It bowed slightly and took its place by her right hand. Yukiko's eyes flashed to match Yami no Tenshi, and then they both relaxed.

"It has chosen it's master!" the man at the gong stated. The room bowed at him.

"The new shrine mistress is Yukiko! All acknowledge her awesome power as a direct messager to Inari!" he said. All of them, Akane, her grandmother, everyone in the room, all the other spirit foxes and other spirits present bowed at them. Watanuki joined them in there ceremony.

"Rise, for I am still mortal. Besides…" she said serious, but a smile playing on her lips, "We need to celebrate the coming of Yami." They all rose in response.

"So this time his name is Yami?" her grandmother asked. Yukiko nodded and Yami smiled a fox smile at them all in response. He strolled over to Akane and bit her right hand. It swelled but didn't bleed.

"Before we may celebrate though, we must cleanse our shrine of our banished." Yukiko said all seriousness returning as Yami did. Akane's face paled.

"Please I beg of you, messager of Inari, shrine leader and mistress Yukiko, let me forever be cursed, other then be set off on my own." Akane pleaded with her. Nothing crossed past Yukiko's face.

"No." was her replied. Akane's face tightened even more in exhasperation.

"Please, I beg you to reconsider." Akane tried again. She was so close to fainting from fright but no one was helping her, or speaking up in her defense. It truly showed the distaste everyone saw her as. It almost made Watanuki pity her.

"Once a stake is raised, and punishment is set you must fulfill it to the letter. That is the way of our shrine." Yukiko stated. Yami came to Watanuki and tugged him to stand. He did and followed him to the left hand of Yukiko. There he sat instantly, and Yami returned to Yukiko's right side.

Akane sat nearly defeated, but refusing to believe it.

"Then why has he marked me?" she said.

"Because that is a curse mark that will never fade. Every time you come in contact with someone from this shrine, your hand will bleed in that pattern. And if you ever try to return your hand will bleed until you die." Yukiko said, truly scholarly now. It seemed that she was suddenly blessed with great knowledge beyond her years.

Akane was nearly transparent in color. Every color seemed to be drained from her body, even her eyes were dulling. She shook with unhidden fear. They were really going to throw her out. She would be alone without a family or a place to call home.

"Please! Have mercy!" she screamed at Yukiko kissing the ground in front of her in her submission.

"It is not my will that is driving you out. It is the will of Yami. He has told me all." She said. Akane stopped groveling.

"Told you what?" she asked quietly. Yukiko stared her right into her eyes, seeming to bore holes in them. Akane was completely shaking down to her bare toes.

"That you tried to avoid the hitsugen of this shrine. You tried to force him to bond with you. Keep him locked up in a power draining room that we use on problem spirits. He also told me that you faked your way into fooling everyone that the stars, tealeaves, and a fortuneteller had declared him yours. He has told me all of the unclean deeds you have done." She said. The room openly was shocked into hate. They would forever hate that girl even acquitted of her crimes, from her ex family.

"Some of those could be over looked. But forcing our patron to bond with you, keeping him in a spirit draining area, and lying several time over to your own flesh and blood, is unforgivable." She said. The power in her voice could be felt all over. It was as if she was condemning her to doom. Which in a sense she was. It was a huge blow to the family, and to Akane herself.

"But divine rules must be followed." Watanuki thought to himself, even he wasn't about to cross Yukiko. Akane bowed her head in shame.

"May I take anything with me?" she asked. Yukiko looked over to Yami, and they seemed to be talking.

"You have a half hour to gather what you want. Then we must begin our ritual." She said. Akane nodded bowing, and left. It was already two in the morning.

"Let's get you back to Yuko. My family will take care of this." Yukiko said suddenly the girl she was before.

"Alright." Watanuki said, stumbling as he got up. Yukiko made a quick spell and suddenly Yami was as big as a wolf. She helped him seat himself upon Yami and then they were off.

"Ahh, so you return. I told you, you'd want your sleeping bag." Yuko said calmly. It was useless since he was already passed out from the long and strange night. Yukiko helped him into his sleeping bag, and went out to the backyard. There she sat in a calming position basking in the moonlight.

"My wish, still can be granted right?" she asked, as Yuko silently appeared.

"Yes, your price is being paid." Yuko said, as Yami came out. Yami joined Yukiko out on the lawn in basking in the moonlight.

"Yami no Tenshi." Yuko puffed. Yami looked at her.

"Correct," Yukiko said not fazed.

"Do you know what happened to the last preitess that had a messager named that?" Yuko asked.

"I'm aware of what happened." Yukiko replied her face growing taught.

"Yet, you still wish to destruy the one thing that can save you?" Yuko asked. Yukiko nodded.

"Even at the cost of your life?" Yuko asked.

"I'm not living until I can live without anyone's injuries but my own." Yukiko replied.

"As you wish." Yuko replied.


	7. Chapter 7: Prewave

"So tell me again, why is Yukiko with you?" Himawari asked, as they ate lunch together. It was a normal day of school, with his somewhat normal friends if you consider a girl with death following her, a boy who saw that which shouldn't be seen, and a young priest normal.

"Well, it's part of her contract with Yuko. She has to protect me for a month and then her wish is granted." Watanuki explained taking a bite of his lunch only to find there was none left. Domeki had it.

"HEY! Who said you could eat my share of lunch too?" he demanded. Domeki put a finger in his ear and finished eating.

"I figured since you hadn't touched it much, that you were done eating." He stated steel faced as ever. Watanuki was fuming on the inside but controlled it.

"When are we going to meet this Yukiko anyway?" Domeki asked, gulping the last of it down. Himawari nodded. Watanuki had told them all about her, but they had yet to see her. He stared at them blankly.

"She's right over there." He said pointing up into the tree. It's true she was up there lazily guarding him with Yami at her side. Himawari and Domeki looked up, only to turn to him confused.

"I don't see her." They both replied. His face paled, don't tell me she's…

Just then she dropped down from the tree and landed in front of them Yami at her heels. She bowed her black eyes, calm. Yami mimicked her.

"I'm sorry for the in-convince. I was merely exploring the realms of my powers. I didn't know that I was invisible to your eyes since Watanuki saw me just fine." She replied robotically almost. Himawari was surprised by her actions, while Domeki wore his usual mask.

"You're from the shrine of Inari aren't you?" he asked bluntly. She nodded.

"And I do sense your priest powers as well, but you prefer to channel them through the bow and arrow, do you not?" she asked in the same tone. He gave her a look, but got over it.

"True, do you not use your entire body as a channel?" he asked right back.

"Correct, I do. Any other concerns of yours?" she asked seating herself as the fourth point in their square.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what? Please be more specific." She asked a bit on edge. The wind blew towards Watanuki from in front of them. Yami opened his closed eyes, a small emotion flickering across them

"Why now of all times to come into his life? Why realize that you are bound by pain, and must free yourself? Do you not understand what you are risking?" he asked her. She lowered her head.

Watanuki found it amazing that she was so many things at once. She was an indirectly mutilated soul, who wanted to live life bearing only her burdens. She was only about his age, and already head of her shrine. But he wondered what exactly she was risking by releasing herself from that pain of absorbing other's misfortunes.

"Why now, you ask. Why not now? It is as good a time as any to come into his life. After all hitsugen is preordained, so it must be now. I realized that I was bound years ago Domeki, but only started to believe that there was something better, freer to be had outside the pain. Once you taste the forbidden fruit, no fruit ever tastes as sweet." She said calm. Yami shifted from lying on the ground, to sitting upright on guard. Yami's eyes grew red, and he growled lowly. Yukiko's head turned sharply, as he eyes narrowed.

"Get behind me." She commanded rising. The group was taken off guard. What now?

"What?" Watanuki asked for all of them as he crawled backwards a bit, doing as asked.

"Don't question it, just do it." She said getting in front of all of them.

"What's going on Yukiko?" Himawari asked, scared. Yami nuzzled her lightly to reassure her that everything would be fine before taking his place by Yukiko's side. They all got behind her in a row.

"The first wave." Yukiko replied biting her thumb. She stuck it down to Yami to lick. He lapped at it and it healed, and he was no longer a little fox. He was a massive fox that was at least as big as a horse. It suddenly appeared by smoke.

A blob of spirits, evil ones at that were here. It was a mash of body parts and faces all around a horrid and cursed thing. Growling, howling, wailing, and guttural speech came from it loudly as it proclaimed its arrival on earth. The colors were distorted and ranged from the brightest of yellows and pinks to the darkest of blacks and grays. Nothing about it was unified other then the fact that it was heading for them and coming in fast.

Himawari turned away in fear, and Watanuki was in shock. The first reason was that the spirit was so massive and evil, and two that Himawari could see it. It took all his power not to be sick on the spot. Domeki's mask was still in tact, but you could tell the sight disturbed him as well.

"This is the first wave that comes to wipe out all pure spirits. Priests' and Priestess's train to combat the evil before it gets this big and gathered, but sometimes it slips by us." She said her outfit transformed into a pure white robe marred by a single black fox on the cuffs. She clapped once and began her ritual.

"I call forth the power of the black fox, may Inari take pity on me and lend me my guardians power. I submit my will to my master, so that he may protect the ones I protect, as his guardian does for me. If he calls for me after this, I will come. If I die before it is over, my soul is his to take. With Yami no Tenshi at my side, I beg for power not pride!" she announced her black eyes turning red. (Watanuki and company can't see this happening.) A slight breeze shifted towards them, and Yukiko and Yami were engulfed in black fire.

"Dispel this evil, beast of protection, I call forth this!" she declared her body bursting into larger flame which transferred to Yami as his jaws opened, and the black flame made them larger to engulf the ten story beast. His jaws 'flame jaws' shut and the black flame descended on the glom of evil. The shrieks were no longer those of announcement, but of pain. It retreated farther away trying to free itself, but could not. As it disappeared from in front of them Yami returned as a little fox with a smirk on his face. Yukiko turned, her jeans and tee shirt returned.

The beast was gone. No trace left of it, not even in the wind. Yami was happy again, and the world sighed. The birds that were silenced returned to singing, and the animals came out again. The three of them spread apart and stared at the girl in wonder. Could someone the same age as her truly be so amazing? Watanuki wondered.

"Th- Thank you." He stammered out.

"Yes, thank you Yukiko." Himawari said, shivering a bit. (Aftershock)

"What was that thing anyway?" Watanuki asked.

"The prewave of evil. Every time a new black fox priest or priestess is announced, evil comes to challenge me. It comes in three waves each one worse then the first. That wasn't the first wave, I made a mistake, and it was the prewave of evil. It's the god's way of announcing that my test has begun." She said simply. It was when they looked closer that they saw what had happened.

Yukiko had a small new collection of cuts, and bruises on her person. Yami also had a fair amount of wounds as well.

"Your deal with Yuko is to absorb my misfortunes." Watanuki stated remembering when she had said 'figures' when she was reading her contract.

"Correct." She replied sitting down again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked taking her shoulders. Yukiko stared at him in shock.

"You never asked, so I didn't figure it was important to you." Was her reply.

"Yukiko, you shouldn't have accepted that as part of the deal! You're already getting hurt because of your family!" he said. She didn't want the poor girl to suffer anymore then she already was. Her eyes were wide; no one had ever cared for her in such a way before. She shrugged his hands off her shoulders.

"It's fine. As long as my wish is granted in the end." She remarked stalking off back into the tree. The bell rang announcing lunch was over so Watanuki and friends walked back into the building, still shaken over the prewave.

From the top of the tree, she searched around to make sure there were no remains of the prewave. Yami came back smiling, confirming that the evil had been destroyed.

"To our charge." She mumbled taking the scruff of Yami's neck and jumping off the tree onto the ground. Physical limitations were no more for her; she could jump off a ten story building and me fine. Yukiko then shifted her clothes into the school uniform. She startled the office woman.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you madam." She said politely bowing, her calm disposition radiating from her.

"I've just finished moving her, and I need to make sure my transfer papers are in order." She said pulling them from a school bag. Yami was growling lightly, in a laughing sort of way, but only Yukiko could hear him.

The office women took her papers, and searched her on the data base. All was in order, and Yukiko's schedule was already made out and printed.

"Here's your schedule, have a good day." The women smiled. Yukiko took her papers and bowed politely, and walked out to find Watanuki's gym class.

"WHA?" he said as she appeared in class smiling. The whole class was in shock of this new girl, covered in cut, scars and bruises.

"She owns a mirror right?" one girl sneered.

"Doubt it, I mean look at her. Her hair down to her toes, are disgusting. Is she even Japanese? We pride ourselves on having few mars on our bodies, and then she shows up, how revolting." The second girl sneered. They laughed as the little group kept making insults. Eventually it spread to the rest of the class, minus him, Himawari, and Domeki.

"It's really sad isn't it?" Himawari said suddenly.

"What is?" Watanuki asked, all ready knowing what she was talking about.

"That they're so quick to judge. Yukiko is such a nice girl, and loyal friend. If they could just see past her skin and see her heart like you do, I'm sure they'd want to be friends with her." Himawari said.

"Yeah, I know. But you can't fight nature." He said to her. _"Or the evils that had lodged onto you."_ His head continued. Those girls that were gossiping had, had evil spirits surrounding them for ages, but they weren't coming after him so he could do nothing.

Yukiko just kept smiling as; she introduced herself, and joined the group. She pasted the group of girls and Yami thunked his tail against one of each girl's legs. The evil was gone less then a second later. Watanuki was shocked how...

" _Yukiko can instantly purify anything she touches. She can't help it. Because of her we never have any evil spirits._" He remembered from last night.

The rest of the day, he found that Yukiko was in every single one of his classes.

"So how'd you mange that?" he asked her as they were walking to Yuko's shop.

"Hitsugen." She replied channeling her energy into a bow and arrow to shot down a small evil spirit in the sky.

"Really? You didn't influence it at all?" he asked, skeptically.

"Nope, since I'm a priestess I can only use my powers for things unrelating to me, and benefit this town or mankind itself." She replied the bow dispersing from her hand. Yami came back smiling as he walked between Yukiko and Watanuki.

"So long do these waves of evil go for?" he asked.

"One will come each week of this month. If I survive until the end, then I gain of all my priestess powers. If not, well I'll lose them or my life." She said solemnly.

"Harsh,' he thought. He was praying that she would succeeded in this battle. They arrived at Yuko's shop to see Maro and Moro playing in the yard. They're heads turned and grinned graced their faces.

"Watanuki's back! Watanuki's back! Inform the Mistress! Inform the Mistress!" the announced racing inside. Watanuki sighed another day of hard work.


	8. Chapter 8: Normal

"Could you help me or are you just going to sit there?" Watanuki asked wiping the outdoor pathway. Yukiko was sprawled on her back in the middle the yard. She looked at him with a vague stare, and seemingly sightless eyes.

"My job is protecting you, not to help you." She said replied. He looked at her with distain. Did all priests and priestesses have to be like that? So unfeeling towards him? He growled and continued on with his work. She looked at his back. If he had just asked her to help, like a normal person, she would have.

"Oh well, I suppose we aren't normal are we Yami?" she said to her companion. He yawned and nodded. "Shall we help him then?" she asked aloud.

"No." came a voice. She turned back to the pathways, to see Yuko smoking from her pipe. Yami's nostrils flared, but he calmed down quick enough. (No Yami's not agressive towards Yuko or anything, he's just on gaurd.)

"And why is that?" Yukiko asked, turning completely to face her.

"Because then his wish can't be granted." She said, after taking another puff from her pipe. Yukiko nodded understanding the situation.

"Why?" Yuko asked to Yukiko after a silence.

"I've been getting asked that quite a lot, lately." Yukiko replied, picking up Yami.

"…"

"Please be specific about what. There's lots of 'whys' in my world." Yukiko grinned childishly.

"You know what I want to know about." Yuko replied sitting down. Yukiko twirled with Yami in her hands a bit, barefooted and not answering. Yuko just watched, until Yukiko's left ankle collapsed and she fell.

"Ouch." Yukiko said grimacing. Her hands glowed lightly as she touched her ankle gently. Nothing seemed to change but she got up and flexed it. Good as new.

"So I can live life without incidents like that." She replied. Yuko nodded still smoking her pipe. Yukiko wandered forward and looked up at the dying light of day.

"Is that so wrong to want that?" she asked to no one.

"I never said it was wrong to want that." Yuko replied. Yukiko turned back to her.

"I never said I was asking you." Yukiko grinned a bit. Yami grinned, and then spat out a small bottle. Yukiko came over to where he was and opened his mouth.

"That's strange, it says to Yuko on the bottle. I don't remember making a deal for it, for you." Yukiko said handing the small bottle to Yuko.

Yuko eyes narrowed like the bottle she was holding was a ghost. She got up without a sound and walked off. Yukiko and Yami just watched before returning to where Watanuki was working.

* * *

**The next day:**

"Is it really necessary for you to sleep in my room?" Watanuki asked on the way to school.

"Well duh, what if you got attacked in the middle of the night?" Yukiko replied, "You could die, and then my wish doesn't come true. Plus it would really suck if you died."

"Glad to know I'm appreciated." He replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes a bit.

"Hey, I never said you had to make me lunch. You could've just made the normal three bento you always make." Yukiko replied gesturing at his overweight bento boxes.

"Well, you sit with us at lunch so you deserve a lunch too. Besides if you don't want it, Domeki can have it." He retorted.

"Good for him." She replied sticking out her tongue. Yami did as well, since he was eye level with him for once. (He's on Yukiko's shoulders)

It struck Watanuki that he hadn't once seen Yami eat before. Did he eat 'normal' food, or only spirits food?

"He eats other spirits." Yukiko replied to the thoughts in his head. He stared at her. She blushed.

"Sorry, sorry, so sorry I didn't mean to read your mind on purpose… I just kinda fell in on accident for a second." She said. She bowed to him.

"There's no need for that." Watanuki said shrugging it off.

"Yes there is, I pride myself now on not letting my powers wander." Yukiko cried defensively.

"Okay, Okay' Watanuki said holding his hands out innocently, "It's alright I forgive you!"

She grinned at him. "See that's all you have to do." She replied, Yami nodded. Yami was starting to remind Watanuki of Mokona with that dopey grin on his face.

"_Let's hope he doesn't talk,…"_ he prayed in his head.

"So does Yami like… talk to you?" Watanuki asked aloud. He covered his mouth, that had been more of a thought then a question to ask. It was still a good ten minutes to school though and he hated silence when he was with people.

"In what way?" Yukiko replied.

"How many ways can he talk to you? I guess anyway really." Watanuki replied.

"Well mostly we are telepathic with each other like right now. He's telling me he's hungry, but I'm also talking with you verbally. In battle, like with the prewave, I use an Inari prayer to instruct him, while he 'powers up' for the attack. We rarely use verbal communication." Yukiko replied. "But on occasion, he uses growls and pitches to communicate with me when I ignore him in my head."

"Oh, so does it bother you at all?" he asked.

"Not really, only when he's complaining and I'm trying to hold a normal conversation with another person as well. Then I start getting headaches." She giggled towards the end. He laughed lightly with her.

"So what about you?" she asked.

"What about me?" he asked.

"Well, how'd you get your power? I mean no offense or anything, but you don't give off that past life power like mine, or priest power like Domeki." She said lightly. He pretended to mull it over in his head for affect, but he honestly had no clue. He rubbed his head embarrassed.

"Honestly, I don't know. It's just always been with me." He replied. Her eyebrows rose.

"It's just been there. Has it been with you since childhood, or since you've been born?" she asked. He shifted a bit; it was getting a bit uncomfortable talking about himself.

"I don't know. I can't remember anything about my life before the first day of middle school honestly." He replied. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Can you lower your head for a minute?" she asked. He gave her a confused look.

"Why?" he asked.

"I just want to check something." She replied calmly, "It involves me touching the top of your head." He bent down so she could.

"Go ahead I have nothing to hide." He replied. He felt her fingers grasp some hairs tightly, but not painfully. Then slowly, like an oven they warmed up, and he heard her humming softly. It reverberated in his ears, and seemed too seep into his head.

"No Yami, get out of his subconscious!" he heard her voice. He tried to talk back verbally, but he found his voice id nothing, and his mouth was locked.

"Yukiko what's going on!" he cried in his mind.

"Calm, down Watanuki, I'm just in your subconscious." She replied calm. He could see a ghost of her in front of him.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I'm looking for something." She replied. Wandering a bit around what he assumed to be his mind.

"What are you looking for?" he asked. She held a finger to her lips.

"If I tell you then the protection activates by forcing me out of your mind, and possible locking me out." She grinned, like Yami.

* * *

A silent alarm went off in Yuko's head. She stopped mid drink, and her eyes flashed open the drink half downed.

"She wouldn't dare." Yuko said, putting the half downed sake glass on the table and rushing outside.

"Wouldn't do what?" Mokena asked, hopping after her.

"Try unlocking Watanuki's memories. He can't have those back, at least not yet anyway." She replied shifting through Kimono to where.

"Are we going to stop her?" Mokena asked.

"If hitsugen doesn't stop her first." Yuko replied.

* * *

"Found it." Yukiko replied from a dark corner that Watanuki couldn't even see.

"Found what?" he asked. She came out into the light and her lips moved and she gestured excitedly at the darkness, but he didn't hear her. He found everything fading, and pretty soon, he was out cold.

* * *

Yuko froze in the midst of the avalanche of clothes. Her head perked up like dog's to a dog whistle. She went outside, and sighed.

"What happened?" Mokena asked.

"Hitsugen interfered. Our departure is unnecessary." She replied. Walking back in. She surveyed the damage, and rammed most of the clothes into a pile, and dumped I by her closet.

"Watanuki will clean this up later. My sake is waiting!" she cried.

"SAKE!" Mokena replied after her, and bounding onto her shoulder.

* * *

"Ugh…" Watanuki moaned waking up to a white light. No way. He was dead? NOT FAIR! He hadn't even had half the life most people had, he hadn't confessed his love to Himawari, told off Domeki and Yuko, or gotten his wish granted! Stupid hitsugen, always leaving him out or challenging him to do the stupidest things.

Then his vision cleared and he found out he wasn't dead. He was looking up at florescent lights of the nurse's office.

"About time you woke up." Domeki replied from the side of his bed.

"I wake up, from whatever that was, to your stupid face How wonderful." He growled back.

"Ohh, is Yukiko going to be alright?" Himawari's voice said, concerned.

"Why couldn't I have woken up to Himawari's beautiful face?" he asked aloud.

"She was watching you the entire time I carried you here, and while you sleep or whatever, and then I as soon as I came in and sat down, you awoke." He replied.

"Stupid hitsugen." Watanuki cursed under his breath. Himawari appeared and his day just got a bit brighter. She informed him, that she and Domeki had found them both passed out on the street with a black fox guarding them.

"It was the cutest little thing!" she exclaimed. Yami then rolled and sat on Watanuki's lap. And then Domeki had carried him to the nurse's office while Himawari had flagged down a couple of other to help Yukiko get to the nurse's.

They both would be fine the nurse confirmed. They had just passed out because of exhaustion is all. Yukiko walked in. She bowed and thanked Himawari and Domeki for their help, and for the concern for their safety. Watanuki thankfully, and graciously thanked Himawari, but gruffly thanked Domeki.

"So what really happened in my mind?" Watanuki asked her. She stared at him completely confused.

"I didn't go into your mind." She replied, "I remember reading it, but not going into it." She said walking into their next class. Watanuki stood completely confused but shook it off. Better to not ask questions when dealing with the paranormal.

Aside from a few lesser demons that Yami happily ate, the rest of the week passed without a hitch. (Aside from waking up each day with Yukiko in the middle of his room and Yami on his head)

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, what Yukiko's doing in Watanuki's head and trying to figure out why he can't remember his past. She's curious like that. And no I don't know for certain wether or not what's preventing him from remebering is in his subconscious or not; It's just my guess is all. Also I'm also guessing that Yuko would be aware of weather or not Watanuki would recover his memories or not. But again they're just guesses (Isn't that what Fanfiction is for?).


	9. Chapter 9: Date

Another day, another workload overload should have become Watanuki's motto. Everyday on his break he spent working for Yuko in the shop. Best of all, there had been NO customers at all, not one. At least though, he had someone to talk to while Yuko was out.

"So… how long exactly are you going to be with me?" he asked. Yukiko from the futon looked up at him, from a limp and faded magazine of kimonos. She groaned, sat up, and wandered the room until she found a calendar he hadn't noticed before. Yukiko stuck one finger on the page and found a date and counted the week remaining.

"After today, only two more weeks." She replied. Yami then burst in through the sliding paper door ripping a hole wider then all of Japan through it, followed by Mero, Moro, and Mokena. Which by the wall only made the hole bigger.

"Come back here you thief!" Mokena shouted from a top Mero's head.

"Come back! Come back!" the girls chanted. Yami jumped atop of Yukiko's head and made a sound that sounded like a cross of a yip and a laugh. Mero and Moro surrounded Yukiko and started to dance or possibly chase around here.

"Come back! Come back!" They continued to chant.

"NNOOOO!!!!!" Watanuki screamed holding his head and surveying the completely destroyed door scattered on the freshly cleaned floor. He banged his fists on the ground going 'no, no, NO!' over and over. Mero and Moro stopped in their tracks, and watched the display of stand up comedy… or Watanuki's displeasure, no one ever could really tell.

"Wow Watanuki, you do the strangest things when we come to hang out with you." Mokena said.

"What did you say?" Watanuki said into the small magical creature's face.

"Strangest things! Strangest things!" the girls chanted skipping around Watanuki joyfully. Mokena was about to continue when Yuko stepped in. She observed the scene with a photographer's eye, two small twin girls opposite of each other, a teen-age boy fighting with a small… thing, and a girl with a fox on her shoulder just staring with an unreadable expression on her face. Then she looked down at the destroyed paper door, and back up at the 'children' of sorts.

"Watanuki clean this up. Mero, Moro go play outside. Mokena accompany me or my sake acquisitions, and Yukiko man the fort!" she commanded pointing at the group with a twinkle in her eye. Mero and Moro saluted and ran off to go play. Watanuki groaned dejectedly.

"Sake!" Mokena replied hoping from Yukiko's shoulder to Yuko's shoulder.

"Why do I have to man the fort?" Yukiko asked while Yuko finished putting her shoes on.

"In case of an emergency." Yuko replied. Yukiko's brows raised; Yuko knew something was going to happen and soon.

"What is it?" Yukiko asked, tense. Whatever it was, she needed to be prepared for. Yuko looked up with a pity smile on her face as she walked out the door.

"What usually goes on, my dear what usually goes on and has been going on since the dawn of time." Yuko replied outside of the wall surrounding her shop.

Yukiko stared out the empty doorway. "Whatever' she grumbled following the sound of a vacuum cleaner.

* * *

Several hours later, Watanuki was finally finished with all the demeaning chores, endless tasks, and all around he was done with work. 'Finally,' he sighed flopping down on the soft grass in the backyard to watch Mero and Moro finish whatever game they were playing. The phone rang, and hastily he got up to answer it.

"Hello?" He was to late and Yukiko had gotten it. He stared at her from the hallway.

"Yes"

"I'm positive that'd he be happy to go with you."

"I'll tell him right after you hang up."

"Uh huh, I won't forget."

"Yes, Himawari I'll tell him exactly where to meet you. Can you repeat that address though?" Yukiko scribbled it down and recited to Himawari.

"Alright I'll tell him. Don't worry; he won't stand you up. Bye Himwari-chan." She smiled.

"Was that what I think it was about?" Watanuki asked. Yukiko turned and looked at him with a grin.

"Of course it was silly. I just set you up on a one on one date with the one and only Himawari-chan." She stated.

His heart was practically exploding on that phrase. Him on a date, with his beautiful and sweet Himawari, life couldn't be any better. Him alone with his dear sweet then an candy Himawari! He could already picture the date in motion and it ended with a kiss! He was just about ready to hug Yukiko in his joy, but froze. What if 'that guy' was coming too?

"Is he coming?" he asked. Yukiko tilted her head. "Whose 'he'?" she asked.

"That guy." Watanuki said. Yukiko raised a brow in confusion. "Who is 'that guy'?" she asked again.

"THAT GUY DOMEKI! IS HE COMING TOO?!?!?!?" Watanuki asked bursting. Yukiko smiled demurely, like a portrait painting.

"Of course not, Domoki's out of town." Yukiko replied. Watanuki perked up. The jerk was gone? Out of town? Out of his hair and way? He was ready to kiss her in joy. But he hugged her instead.

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!" he exclaimed squeezing her tight. "Ummm… your welcome?" Yukiko replied. He pulled out from the hug.

"Where and when do I meet her?" he asked, his pores bursting with joy.

"A half hour, and here." She said handing him a small piece of paper with the address on it. He read it over and made a mental route of where he was going. It would take him exactly a half hour by walking. He checked a hanging wall clock. If he were going to be on time, he'd have to leave soon.

"Yukiko, I have to leave soon." He shouted. "Alright I'm coming." Yukiko replied her shoes at the door as well.

"You never said you were coming." Watanuki replied with shock.

"Well, I thought you knew that I was coming I'm your body guard after all." Yukiko replied.

"Well then what about the shop?"

"Mero and Moro can handle it."

"Yuko left you in charge though."

"But in order for my wish to be granted, I have to protect you at all times."

"But you have a duty here that you need to keep."

"I hate you." Yukiko finished, tugging on a lock of her hair. She paced the floor for a bit, but had an idea.

"Mero, Moro can one of you get his friend?" She called. They stopped in the yard.

"Which friend?" they asked.

"The tubed one." Yukiko replied. They both smiled and raced off. 'The tubed one! The tubed one!" they sang.

"I'm off-

"No you're not." Yukiko replied collaring him.

"But-

"I'm not sending you out there without protection." Yukiko replied as Mero slide a craved tube into her waiting grasp. Yukiko opened it with ease and the pipe fox appeared, and instantly wrapped itself around Watanuki's neck like a scarf. Mugetsu nuzzled Watanuki's neck apperciatively.

"Hold it there, Mugetsu." Yukiko said taking the small spirit into her hands. She held its forehead to her own, and mouthed words that Watanuki couldn't read. Mugetsu nodded rapidly, and a small black emblem appeared on his under belly. It then returned to Watanuki's shoulders and continued it reunion.

"What did you do to him?" he asked as Yukiko peeled off her shoes.

"Nothing much, I instructed him to protect you, and that little emblem on his belly will alert me to any danger that might need my assistance in." she replied, "So that way I can keep track of you and your adventures, and stay here at the shop. If Yuko happens to come home soon though, I will end up following you on the rest of your date."

Watanuki wasn't to keen on her doing so, but it was only for two more weeks. Also it was just for her wish's sake.

"Alright, I think that's fair."

"It's a deal?"

"Yeah, it's a deal." Watanuki replied. They shook hands.

"Good bye Watanuki! Good luck!" she shouted as he was nearly out of the shop's 'realm'.

"Good bye!" he shouted back leaving with high hopes.

* * *

The 'date' went great. It turns out that Himawari was just feeling bored and a bit lonely and wanted someone to hang out with. Plus there had been a movie she was dieing to see in the theatres that she couldn't convince any of her girlfriend's to come and see. So they saw the film, it was some sort of anime, and it turned out a lot better then it sounded at first. With comedy for Watanuki to enjoy, and romance for Himwari it was the best date movie he'd seen. It was later then she expected when they got out, and Watanuki had a strange feeling in his gut.

"Are you alright?" she asked him as they walked.

"I'm fine, I just had a weird feeling." He said straitening up.

"Was it from the popcorn?" she asked innocently. Watanuki smiled a deceiving smile. He couldn't just let a feeling in his gut that something bad was happening ruin this once in a lifetime chance to be on a date with Himawari.

"No, I think it was just a feeling. It's passed now, but thank you for worrying about me." He said. She smiled back.

"I have to worry about you Watanuki you are a close friend and all." She grinned. His smile dropped a bit. They were still just 'friends'; maybe if he did something gentlemanly she might change her mind.

"Well, it's dinnertime already why don't we get something to eat?" he asked with a kind smile.

"But, I couldn't impose something like that on you." She said.

"Really it's not a problem. I just got paid anyway." He insisted.

"But-

"Really it's no trouble at all. I'd really appreciate talking about the movie with you that one part was simply beautiful." He said. She bit her lip in contemplation.

"_She's so cute when she thinking things though!" he thought._

"Well… alright I guess, but we're splitting the bill." She said decisively. That was all he needed as he led her over to a café he had heard about recently. All the while ignoring the ominous feeling in the pit of his body.

* * *

"No, I said No!" Yukiko screamed blood soaked on the roof of the shop. Mero and Moro were in hibernation to protect the shop, but Yukiko was still fighting the first wave outside.

As soon as Watanuki was gone from the neighborhood she guessed, it had come out of nowhere. It had materialized in front of her, and started going after the tube the pipe fox had been in.

Yami was in a new form similar to a sai in Yukiko's hand, the handle marking the damage Yami was taking. Things were looking bad.

There was a gapping wound on her left leg and her right shoulder that continually slicked the roof tiles with her blood. Yami was just about finished, and the glob that was 'the first wave' seemed never-ending. Though, she thanked her lucky stars that Watanuki was far away with the pipe fox and Himawari.

She dispelled Yami from his current state. And started a final attack. Her arms raised and a dark purple and grey form swirled around her hands.

"I call forth the power of the black fox, may Inari take pity on me and lend me my guardians power. I submit my will to my master, so that he may protect the ones I protect, as his guardian does for me. If he calls for me after this, I will come. If I die before it is over, my soul is his to take. With Yami no Tenshi at my side, I beg for the end of with demonic wave!" she shouted. At once Yami disappeared like a destroyed sand sculpture and became one with the swirling grey and purple mass. The mass's power caused lightning and thunder to be heard, and it descended upon the darkness and dispelled it in an instant.

"I… won… the first…" Yukiko said falling from the top of the shop with a decisive thud on the ground, face down, as her blood continued to seep from her wounds, and the rain of dismembered spirits fell, and god's tears as well. Yami grew larger and started to eat the remains and lap at the blood that was spilled cleaning the yard slowly.

* * *

"Oh." Watanuki said suddenly as his head perked up. The evil feeling in his gut was gone.

"What? Is something going on outside?" she asked trying to see from his point of view.

"Nothing really, other then it started to rain." He replied.

"Do you know what rain means?" Himawari asked sitting back down. He shook his head no.

"It means that a god is crying for one of his angels or followers, is what I think it means." Himawari replied.

"Ohh," Watanuki replied, nervous. Was Yukiko one of god's angels? He thought absentmindedly.

"But still I guess this also means we're without an umbrella." She grinned a laugh escaping her lips. He laughed along with her. Forgetting about Yukiko.

"Let's wait a bit longer to see if the rain slows down or stops. And if it doesn't I'll buy an umbrella and walk you home." He said.

"Alright, so does that mean we have time for dessert?" she asked, agreeing.


	10. Chapter 10: I don't understand

_A quote from the past or a memory_

* * *

He felt horrible, simply horrible and it wasn't even him who was being stared at. Yukiko's uniform couldn't even begin to cover up all the damage. He left leg covered with bandages and a brace beneath those. Her right arm bandaged as well and in a sling. She was lucky she was ambidextrous. And he couldn't help but feel that it was his fault for this entire happening. She had denied it though.

_"It was the releasing of the pipe fox is all." She had told him._

_"But still, for it to appear at the shop?" he had questioned._

_"Hitsugen, the shop has the highest concentration of magic and the paranormal activity in this town. It's only to be expected that the 'waves' would come after such power." She told him. He slumped his head down; any way he put it she would disprove it. He had to face it. It wasn't his fault, but only hitsugen._

_'I still can't help but feel that this is my fault in some way." He told her. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek._

_"It's not your fault Watanuki, now please stop your crying." She had said. He was startled; he didn't know that he had been crying. He wiped his tears away desperately like a small child would to prove that they were strong._

_"It's true that only the innocent…" she had started but he suddenly couldn't hear her._ And then he woke up the next morning her staring at him from the wall and Yami no Tenshi on his stomach.

"Watanuki are you okay?" Himawari asked. Normally her voice would've elated him, but he was still so down.

"I guess not, since you had to ask." He grinned in-genuinely at her. It was a first for him and he felt like he was a liar for doing so.

She looked at where he had been looking for a while. Which was all the girls once again, making snide remarks about Yukiko. One of them then walked over and sat right in front of her.

"So what's with the injuries? You fought a tengu or something and fell?" she asked earning her a giggle from her followers. Yukiko didn't lift her eyes from the black leather bound book. And ignored them he assumed.

"Come on talk back! What did the fight cut out you tongue too?" she said. Her friends started openly laughing. Yukiko's eyes shifted upwards for a second then back to her book, and Yami (invisible to those without the sight at this time) growled lowly from her shoulder. Teeth bared ominously at the girl. Yukiko patted scratched her shoulder (aka was scratching Yami's back) and then turned the page in her book.

"Aww, the little girl it too frightened to talk back how sad." The girl sitting in front of her went. Yukiko was once again engrossed in her book. Yami adjusting his shape to lay on top of the thick volume.

The girl grabbed the top of the book, and ripped it front Yukiko's hands. Her eyes narrowed then a small smile appeared on her lips. Yami bit her hand. Hard. The book closed and clattered to the ground. Yami sat on top of it. The girl clutched her hand, and tried to move it. She couldn't; Yami had broken her hand.

"Cursed BITCH!" she screamed drawing the teacher into the room. The girl screamed her side of the story to the teacher all the while everyone looking at her in distain.

"She deserved it." Watanuki heard. "Yeah, no one liked her anyway." Another started. "I hear she got it from her poor upbringing by her parents. Last year she did the same thing and cried when someone finally cussed her out. Don't dish what you can't take." Another bystander said.

"Finally that girl gets what she deserves." Was a collective thought he heard from the teacher's minds. Yukiko must be using her power on him.

"That's awful!" Himawari said. "Both of them, it's simply horrible!" she continued. The power was affecting Himawari too? And then amidst the confusion and chaos Yukiko had gotten up, and given the girl a hug.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said. The girl was petrified at the contact. Yukiko hugged her tighter. The girl broke down in her arms tears trailing down her cheeks. The girl's hands wove themselves behind Yukiko to hug her back.

"SAVE ME! SAVE ME, please…" the girl cried before fainting. Yami grew larger and swallowed up the black smoke that had been squeezed out of her. Yukiko pulled a small vial of water out and sprinkled it over the girl. The girl's face relaxed, and she was peaceful.

* * *

"What was that about?" Watanuki asked as they walked home.

"What was what about?" Yukiko replied.

"The girl in homeroom. What came out of her?" he asked Yukiko. She stopped and stared at him.

"A malicious spirit that believe it or not, was after you. But since my spirit energy is higher, it came after me first." Yukiko replied like nothing was out of the ordinary with that statement and continued to walk on. Watanuki shook his head. There were some things in this world that no one could ever understand.

* * *

"So… your contract is almost up right?" Watanuki asked on Friday. Yukiko nodded, as well did Yami.

"Excited?" he asked. It would be a long time before his would be up, and he wanted to know what it felt like.

"I guess, but I'm scared too." She said. Watanuki looked up from the work he was doing to see her. Curled into a ball almost with her guardian at her side.

"Why?" he asked. She shook her head. "I can't place my finger on it, but I feel like something might go wrong." She said. He placed a hand on her shoulder starling her.

"You'll be fine. This is what you wanted right?" he asked. She nodded her head yes. "So as long as it's your true wish you'll be fine right?" he asked again. She nodded yes again. "See? Nothing to be afraid of." He said. She smiled a half-hearted smile at him almost reassured that this was the right thing to do. Almost.

* * *

The second wave came out when they were least expecting it. In broad daylight at a park Watanuki frequently passed by on the last day of her contract. Yukiko was prepared though.

"Watanuki made sure Mugetsu is awake." She told him. Yami appeared as a long sword in her hand. Then she started her assault. If it wasn't so amazing how she kept going; he would've turned away in repulsion. The 'wave' sliced her bandages off revealing healed wounds of her own. No criss crossed scars with different skin textures to them. No healing bruises or anything like that; they were just her wounds. Long large, and already scarred over like she was a yukuza or samurai.

Frequently Yami changed forms or Yukiko would use some of her spells and such. She had card spell, blood binding, summoning, and all sorts of things unimaginable to the average man. It was astounding how she moved. And eventually she had it on the ropes, but not without damage to herself. Both legs had gashes inches deep, both legs as well and one eye suffered a cut extremely close to it. Still she prevailed.

"I call forth the power of the black fox, may Inari take pity on me and lend me my guardians power. I submit my will to my master, so that he may protect the ones I protect, as his guardian does for me. If he calls for me after this, I will come. If I die before it is over, my soul is his to take. With Yami no Tenshi at my side, I DESTROY!" her black eyes went red with rage. Even Yami was nervous to be by her side. She struck her arm out and Yami came a staff with a jagged end. She thrust him into the blob and it shattered. Her eyes still red she dropped Yami and fell (from the top of the blob) several feet down with a horrifying crack. Yami did his duty and started to clean up.

"YUKIKO!!" Watanuki shouted starting for her. Strong arms held him back. He looked up to find Domoki, Yuko, Himawari, and Mokena all solemn faced.

"What are you doing! Go help her!" he cried. He struggled to free himself only to be held tighter. Yuko dropped down from her perch and stood in front of him. In her hand appeared the scroll. It opened and it read itself aloud in Yukiko's voice.

_"At the end of the contract in exchange for my services, I Yukiko of the Black Fox shrine will not associate myself with any of the people I have met through this experience."_ He heard a sound of writing and saw Yukiko's name written at the bottom.

Yukiko was up half standing, have hunched over blood dribbling for everywhere. "That's right Watanuki. That's my contract." She said a bit of blood spitting out from her mouth. She looked up her eyes a messy purple. "Thanks for everything you guys have done. I'll never see any of you again." She said. The contract disappeared.

"Your payment has been accepted." Yuko said. Yukiko nodded and turned away only to fall face down into the ground. From there, her family from the shrine appeared and carried her off. The other foxes assisted in the clean up of dismembered body parts and sprit's blood.

Watanuki was dumbfounded. How… How? How was it possible to be that cruel to someone like Yukiko? He wanted to ask, to understand, but his mouth was dry. His words were gone along with his strength. Domoki released him and he crumbled to the ground. It made NO sense. It was one of those things he wouldn't understand, or more likely couldn't understand.

"Domoki if you would." Yuko said. He nodded gruffly and picked Watanuki up. They all started for the shop where Himawari and Domoki separated from Watanuki.

Mero and Moro for once were silent. The shop was silent. It seemed the world was silent. Yuko put him in a leftover futon. It was from there that he saw nearly everything Yukiko used was disinfected and being prepared to be sent off to a thrift store, a 100 yen store or something. He looked out to where Yukiko had at one time laid in the yard. The patch of grass was burned away in the shape of her body and of her footprints. He still couldn't grasp it.

* * *

"Why?" he asked hours later. Yuko took the pipe from her mouth and blew out a ring of smoke.

"Why what?" she asked. He glared at her, and she smiled cheekily at him. She sobered up fast enough though.

"Because she is to have no contact with us." She said.

"Then why…

"It's amazing how much a person can leave behind in an object. Some priests and priestesses can even communicate through them to others they cannot even see." Yuko informed him. His face fell, so that was why. He opened his mouth to speak again.

"No you may not visit her otherwise her wish is terminated." She said.

"But you… it… the contract read that she wouldn't associate herself with us. What if we associate ourselves with her?" he cried desperate for a loophole.

"The contract will be terminated." Yuko said.

"BUT WHY?!?" Watanuki cried, tears slightly flowing down his cheeks. She had done no wrong; she, Yuko, had just made a mistake. Tomorrow in his room she'd still be there against the wall one eye open, and Yami would have his tail in his face. They'd walk to school together and take their classes. They'd walk to the shop until late. Then go home, eat and go to sleep like they'd been doing.

"Because that is how strong her wish was. That was how complicated it was to grant. It needed to be completely isolated from her after it was granted. She needs to treat it like it never happened and that she's always been this way." Yuko told him.

"But she was…" Yuko sighed.

"Do you know what she was originally planning to do?" she asked him. He shook his head no.

"She was originally going to wipe everyone's mind of her old memories. Then she was just going to erase her own memories of everyone involved. Then she finally decided that she'd let everyone keep their memories, even herself so that way she'd have happy memories to remember fondly of her happier times. Do you want to jeopardize all of that just so she won't have her wish granted?" Yuko said. She took a swig from a smaller bottle. He recognized it as the one Yami had coughed up.

"Isn't that…

"No it's not associated with her. It's from the former black fox priest." She said.

"But how…"

"Unlike the priests and priestesses of the black fox, Yami himself doesn't change in each reincarnation. He keeps his most distinct memories from the former priests and priestesses, but is completely dedicated to the new one." She told him. She looked at the bottle longingly.

"It was a present that I never got until now." She told him. He stiffened. The whole thing was too complicated to understand right now. He needed sleep. Desperately he needed it. Before he could figure everything out, he needed to sleep of today.

Yuko looked over him. "Perhaps, she was right. We should've wiped their minds."

* * *

Author's Note: Nothing really to say this time. Hope you enjoyed it, and maybe a review or two? i felt kinda bad writing this chapter, but for the sake of the story it had to be written. And just in case there's any confusion; This isn't the last chapter. There's still more this story believe it or not. So stick with me a little while longer. I'm planning on ending it either by the end of decemeber or early January. And don't worry, my writing style and how much I write for each chapter won't be affected by all my new ideas or the fact that I'm planning on ending it in early January. Im just laying out my plans for this story on so I don't keep you all waiting for too long.


	11. Chapter 11: Partial explaination

Watanuki awoke in his own room, cold and alone. He peered with eyes to see if Yami for once slept next to him instead of on him since he felt no weight on he chest. Yami was nowhere to be seen.  
He turned his head towards the wall where Yukiko usually slept expecting to see her. She wasn't there either. He got up and made up the bentos for all of them. Yukiko couldn't have transferred school's yet right?

* * *

Alone he walked to school. It was much quieter then he remembered, but then again Yami wasn't gobbling up every small spirit in sight and Yukiko wasn't talking to him or invading his memories. He felt hollow on the inside, but otherwise nothing truly had changed at least not yet.

* * *

The teacher took roll and didn't even mention Yukiko. When Watanuki asked about her the teacher looked at him dumbfounded.

"We've never had a student named Yukiko in this class Watanuki." She told him. He opened his mouth to speak but one look from Domoki and he stopped. Whether or not he liked it Domoki would probably have an answer. He'd just have to wait until lunch before getting any answers.

As usual they gathered around himself, Himawari and Domoki for lunch making the original triangle shape as they did before. He distributed the bentos and gave Domoki the leftover one. He looked at him warily.

"What's with the extra one?" he asked biting into the sandwich in the first one.

"I made to many." Watanuki told him. Domoki raised an eyebrow in silence, but let the matter go.

"So what was with you staring at me in homeroom?" Domoki asked.

"Well, I thought you were telling me to stop talking and you'd explain it." He replied.

"Really?" Domoki asked

"Yes really." Watanuki replied in a bit of a huff biting into his sandwich.

"I wasn't looking at you." Domoki replied.

"Whadda you mean you weren't looking at me?" Watanuki cried, "We made eye contact!"

"No, I never made eye contact with you. I was looking at the board." Domoki said.

"STOP LYING! THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER!" Watanuki yelled at him. Himawari just giggled at their 'act'. Domoki just stuck his finger in his ear while Watanuki yelled at him and ate his bentos. Watanuki finished venting, huffed.

"Alright, so even though we apparently didn't make eye contact to make me stop asking questions in class, can you attempt to answer my questions anyway?" Watanuki asked.

"Sure, what are they about?" he asked. Watanuki smacked his face onto the ground. Was Domoki that mean? Really?

"About what happened to Yukiko." Watanuki said slowly containing his anger.

"How do you expect me to answer that? I don't live with her and knew her even less then you did." He replied. Watanuki felt a whole new wave of rage coming.

"IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT, JUST LET ME ASK MY QUESTIONS!!" he screamed again. Getting applause from Himawari for his act.

"You guys are so good at this." She giggled. Domoki just stared at him for a minute but nodded.

"Go ahead and ask." He replied.

"Is Yukiko's shrine important?" he asked him. Domoki stopped mid eating.

"How long was she with you?" he asked.

"Two weeks, why?" he replied.

"She was with you for two weeks and you didn't even ask about her shrine. I bet you didn't ask about her family, or past either." He said to Watanuki. Watanuki in turn lowered his eyes; it was true.

What had he done all two weeks besides work, school, go on a date and be protected? Nothing, he'd asked no questions and only had talked about himself, or complained. What kind of friend was that? He should've asked something to keep the conversations even, but he could barely remember what they had talked about anyway.

Domoki made a sound similar to a sigh. "Yeah, her shrine is pretty important. It's the only shrine that actually has a real connection to Inari." He said. Watanuki perked up.

"So what exactly does that mean, Domoki?" Himawari asked politely.

"It means that she's one of the top, elite priestesses right now. Being the human connection to Inari is a huge responsibility and honor. It takes a lot of strength and not just physical strength either. It's incredibly taxing on the mind to balance not only Inari's thoughts to her, but Yami's thoughts and her own. Many past Inari priests and priestess suffered from migraines and chronic headaches." He said giving them a moment to take it all in.

"Also as you can imagine it's emotionally taxing as well. Inari is a very odd god to deal with. He's in constant flux between earth and heaven, thus his emotions are as well. He has certain feelings on earth that he doesn't in heaven such as the seven deadly sins, and the ability to fall for humans. In heaven supposedly, there's a restrain on the god's emotions that don't allow for him to fall in love with a human or be greedy and such. Yukiko receives his emotions as well, casting herself into the flux and giving her the strangest desires. Past journals have revealed that the priests or priestesses would fall in love for others they had never even met, or people of the same sex since Inari is sexless. Past receptors of Inari were also and more often then not very reclusive and kept to themselves so others wouldn't know what was going on, or more often then not they were what qualifies as being Bi-polar." He stated. Watanuki's head was spinning and he couldn't quite understand it all. There was so much more going on then what he thought was.

Domoki was about to continue on, but Watanuki halted him. "What? I thought you wanted to know." Domoki replied.

"What does this have to do with Yukiko being out of school?" he asked to simplify it for himself.

"Isn't it obvious? She's the head of her shrine now. She doesn't need to go to school anymore. Anything that she doesn't already know, Yami will know for her. He's lived since the dawn of Inari's ascension to the ranks of the gods." Domoki told him.

"Wait… So that means… What?" Watanuki drabbled as he tried to put everything together.

"Watanuki, Yukiko is the closest thing on earth to be god-like. Didn't you say her whole family treated her differently once she and Yami looked into each other's eyes or something?" he asked him.

"Well yeah, she seemed completely at ease and so much wiser then before." He replied.

"That was Yami looking into her essence and connecting her new memories to her old ones." He replied.

"Essence? What's that?" he asked confused. Domoki sighed and looked at the clock, they only had a couple minutes left.

"Go on Domoki." Himawari said with a grin.

"Essence it what a person is made up of spiritually. It's their overall personality and currently memories. Once you die there's no such thing as heaven. You merely wait a set number of years with the gods, until your essence is reborn into a new body. You may have the same name, or same looks or you may not but your essence is the same. That's why occasionally you feel at home in a completely new area that you've never been before. Few, only one out about three million people remember they're past lives, and usually it's not in the greatest detail. A few vague memories of places and smells but that's about it." He said. Watanuki and Himawari nodded understanding.

"What Yami does since he's a demi god of sorts, he connects the memories of the current priest or priestess with the past ones, since their the same essence." He finished.

"So Yukiko isn't really Yukiko since her essence is the same as the past guardians of the fox shrine." Watanuki said slowly.

"Correct." Domoki stated.

"So past memories with mix with the new ones creating this 'new' Yukiko of the Black Fox shrine?" Himawari asked. Domoki nodded.

"So there might be… oh no." he said thinking about it. He collected the empty containers and started to run for the gate to leave.

"Where are you going?" Himawari shouted after him.

"To talk with Yuko!" he shouted back, "Tell the teacher that I'm sick or something okay?" Before she could reply he was gone. She turned to Domoki and they both shrugged.

"Whatever, we'll cover for him." He replied heading in. She nodded and followed.

Watanuki's feet pounded as fast as he could. Yukiko's wish could be in danger.

* * *

Author's Note: The whole part about essance's is something I got from Clamp's other series Wish. If anything confused you in the chapter please put it in your review and I'll see what I can do to clear it up.


	12. Chapter 12: A story from the past

"Yuko!!" Watanuki screamed turning the corner into the shop. "YUKO!!!"

He dashed inside, kicking off his shoes and searching desperately for the shop's mistress. All the usual spots she would be were empty, the 'sake' room, where they normally brought customers in, even the yard where empty. He went into the storage area where the exchanged objects were held to find her admiring an old looking sword with an odd looking handle to it.

"THERE. YOU. ARE!" he exclaimed pointing a finger at her as he panted. She looked at him blankly.

"Yes, yes I am here." She replied.

"You know, you could've shouted where you were while I was searching the entire house for you. It would've saved me a lot of trouble." He said hands on his knees nearly recovered from running.

"Aren't you suppose to be at school?" she asked, as he fell to the ground.

"THAT'S NOT THE PIONT! YUKIKO'S WISH IS IN DANGER!" he shouted. She raised a slender brow at him.

"What do you mean her wish is in danger?" she asked, disinterested in him, but fingering the sword. He explained the essences of people he learned about from Domoki and memories and how she could've met him or Himawari in a past life.

Yuko had been considerately listening to him for once. "Don't worry, her wish isn't in danger. I already checked to make sure she hadn't had any contact with any of you in the past. Besides it's already been taken care of if she had." She said.

"What do you mean?" Watanuki asked. She took hold of thw sword and presented it to him.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked him. He shook his head no.

"Take a good hard look at it." She encouraged.

The sheath was a beautifully aged leather, shiny and polished like it was new and foraged only days ago. The handle he noted was quite intricate, but Yuko unsheathed it before he could look at the handle thoroughly.

The blade itself was shining radiantly like a mini sun. Gently he touched the top of the blade and received a paper cut.

"It's sharp all around?" he asked. She nodded.

"It had a very dark purpose before it came to me." She told him taking her hand off the handle and sheathing the sword.

He noted that the handle was designed to look like a…

"Fox…" he breathed. She nodded.

"This was the first and last sword a priest or priestess of Inari ever used. It has a long story to go with it, but first I'd like some sake before I tell it." She grinned cheekily.

"That's all you ever want!" he grumbled marching back into the shop. Yuko put the sword back on it's display and looked at it. She then thought better of it and took it with her.

Once Watanuki made some sake for Yuko and tea for himself, he settled into a chair and waited for Yuko to begin.

"This happened a few years before you before you were born. There was a man serving at the Black fox shrine. He was a diligent and studious man and took all his tasks seriously and wouldn't stop until it was completed to the best of his ability. All the other's respected this man and how well he did his jobs and still managed to make new friends and be personable seemingly all the time." She stopped and let it sink into Watanuki's mind and drank a bit more of her sake.

"The day came that the black fox, Yami no Tenshi as he's called now, appeared back at the shrine and instantly bonded with this young man as it had been ordained.

The patrons of the shrine and the workers were delighted with the news and celebrated this joyous occasion. The young man however was not so happy with this turn of fate." She continued.

"He had read all there is to read about the foxes, spirits, and gods that came to the shrine and was concerned about the black fox, Yami. He had only been able to find the accounts of happy times, and heroic deeds done by the past priests and priestesses that were… blessed with being the patron of the black fox. One day while he was once again in the records he stumbled, literally, over a single large box.

In this box he came across many, a myriad of medical reports and diaries all from people with the same names of the priests and priestesses of the past black fox patrons. He hefted the box into his now elegant room and locked himself away to read.

As he read he began to put it all together. The black fox was not a lucky spirit to be the guardian of, since all the past guardians, and I mean all of them died before their twentieth birthday." She said. Watanuki's tea splattered wildly from his mouth.

"What was that?" he asked.

"All the past patrons of the black ox had died before their twentieth birthday." She repeated. He opened his mouth to ask another question but was silenced by her hand.

"Hold all the questions until the end." She demanded. He sat down and waited for her to continue.

"The young man was floored. The only reason they treated him so well was because he was going to die in two years, for he was eighteen at the time of this discovery. He quickly scanned the dairies searching for clues. To what? I do not know but he stumbled across the last page of the former priestesses diary that was undated and only read Time Witch.

As you know, customers do not find this shop; this shop draws them to it. So of course eventually the young man came to my shop and begged on his hands and knees for me to prolong his life even if only for a day. I accepted his request and gave him this sword." She said holding it up.

"He took it and asked me what to do with it and how it worked with his wish. I merely told him that when the day came he would know what to do with it and until that day he should carry it with him always. And so he thanked me and asked how much money he should send, and as always I said he would know when his payment would be received.

For the next two years the man lived without fear of dying. He did more daring deeds then ever and his name grew. He had many admirers and lived very happily. It was then a complete shock when the family saw him wake up the day of his twentieth birthday as healthy as ever, and he continued to be until the night came. That night as it came to be around ten o'clock at night he awoke from his slumber and grabbed the sword I had given him.

Yami stared him down, and then nothing. The next day he was found dead in his futon without any weapon as to clue in what had happened. Of course, Yami then returned to Inari's side to weep for ten years and the sword came back into my care." She finished.

"So… what exactly happened?" Watanuki asked.

"Think about it." She said holding the sword. He did and try as he might he couldn't come up with a well thought answer. Watanuki asked Yuko for the explanation.

"I myself do not know exactly what took place, or took the young man's life. All I know is that when this sword came back to me it was a churning mess of former memories, and was tinged ever so slightly with blood." She replied.

"What about the sake that Yami coughed up for you?" Watanuki asked at random it seemed. She smiled a sad smile.

"He believed he should have to pay me physically with something so from time to time he would send me rare sake via Yami." She said, "That was the last bottle he found before he died."

"Then what was his payment? You never mentioned what it was." He asked her.

"His payment was his life of course." She replied. He fell out of his chair.

"HIS LIFE? You gave him the sword so you would get his life as payment? I've seen you do some very underhanded things, but this is the WORSE!" he announced.

"What do you expect? He wanted to prolong his life." She said dismissively.

"But he only lived one day more then the rest!" Watanuki cried.

"Then again if you will recall he requested that he lived longer then the rest even if it was only by one day." Yuko said. Watanuki twisted his mouth, but no matter what he said it didn't matter it was true and he was wrong. He hung his head.

"So what does this have to do with Yukiko?" he asked. She shrugged at him.

"What should I know? I just told you another story from her shrine is all. More sake please!" she asked holding the empty container in his face.

"Then why did you bother telling me in the first place!?!" he cried taking the tray to refill her cup and such. She shrugged and downed the last of it. He continued to mutter to himself as he refilled her sake and wondered about Yukiko.

Was she safe? Healthy? He could only pray to Inari to protect her from everything.

Suddenly the earth shook and lightning cracked like a million guns being fired and torrential rain started to fall.

"Let us in! Please!" a girl's voice cried. Watanuki looked out to the front gate to see Himawari and Domoki. He dashed in and looked desperately at Yuko to do something.

"In exchange for?" she called from the front door. Domoki held up another shattered arrow. She nodded and both of them dashed inside to the shop. Once they were all situated at the low table they turned on the news to see what had caused this.

"So far no explanation has been given for the sudden earthquake a 5.6 with no damage so far. Nor is there one for the flash flood rain." The woman stopped as someone came up and whispered into her ear. The new woman's face dropped then got serious.

"In breaking news in the city's downtown mass destruction is happening all around we go now to live footage." She said.

It showed the movie theatre Watanuki and Himawari had been at a few days ago destroyed completely. Then it went to the little café they had been at where a single small figure stood with a large black blob surrounding her. She was cut everywhere, and gushing blood profusely. They all recognized her instantly.

* * *

Author's note: I've put up a new one-shot about Himawari called 'Thoughts' in case anyone is interested.


	13. Chapter 13: Third Wave, Final Battle

They all stared at the tv with wide eyes and stunned expressions. The Third wave; the third wave had come and she was alone. As much as Watanuki wanted to get up and run to her right then and there he found himself glued to his low cushion patiently waiting for the female news anchor to finish and cut from the live footage. They talked all about the damage and said nothing about the girl, Yukiko. It was like she wasn't even there to them, that she didn't even exist. Eventually after Yukiko and Yami made two more attacks and several dodges the news cut the live feed and went to commercial.

'We've got to do something." Watanuki said after the long and painful silence. Domoki looked up at him.

"And just what do we suggest we do? We can't get involved otherwise her wish is terminated." He informed him.

"There's got to be something we can do." He said vehemently, with his fist hitting the table slightly. He turned to Yuko. "Can I see her contract again? Just once more to look it over?" he asked politely as before his very eyes it appeared.

He took it and reread it once more to confirm everything detail he'd already memorized. Until he read exactly what wish was being granted.

_"I want to only take the pain of my own wounds and no one else's."_ he could almost hear her talking in his head as he read. He put it down.

"Okay, let's go." He said placing the contract down affirmed in his course of action. He got up and headed for the front door. Himawari looked nervously after him, and then at Domoki. Domoki in turn shrugged and followed after him. Himawari bit her lip weighting her options in her head, but followed after them without a second thought.

"Aren't you going with Yuko?" Mokena asked. She nodded no.

"Some things only need a certain amount of people to do them. You know the saying, "Two's a party, Three's a crowd."

* * *

"So what's your plan?" Domoki asked following Watanuki quick footsteps through the pelting rain.

"We're breaking her contract." He said. Domoki stopped, as did Himawari. Watanuki stopped a meter in front of them and turned slowly around.

"What's wrong guys?" he asked. Domoki's face hardened as he strolled up to him and slapped him. Himawari sucked her breath in and but didn't cry out. Watanuki moved with the blow but rightened his face to look Domoki square in the eye. His cheek was already swelling.

"That's your plan." Domoki stated, but in an uneasy tone. A firm nod yes from Watanuki.

"Your plan is to destroy her wish and make her sacrifices up until now a waste of time." He told Watanuki.

"No… I don't mean…"

"That's exactly what you mean if you go through with this." Domoki said coldly, "She'll survive without our help; she's done it before. You can't help someone grant their wish then take it away."

"I meant to say" Watanuki started teeth grinding

"No, stop you've already said what's going through your head and given us your plan. You go through with it." Domoki said shoving him back to make him stumble. Domoki turned to Himawari, and started back towards the shop. Himawari was in the middle of their fight and fidgeted with which side she would chose. Her head darted back and forth until she shyly turned away from Watanuki and followed Domoki's distance figure.

Watanuki watched her retreat until she was a speck, and then turned to go towards his own direction. Fine, he'd help Yukiko alone.

* * *

He came to the little café from where his date with Himawari had been, or at least what he remained of it. Distantly he heard a cry of a spirit, and started to follow the path of dismembered splats of 'wave' mush.

Once more, he was awed by Yukiko's fighting spirit as she continued to charge recklessly forward against the Wave. Each time she attacked it earned her a new wound and being thrown back several feet through the air with a decisive crack. It was a one-way battle, literally and with the wave winning.

He took a deep breath let and let it out. A large almost furry hand muffled it out his cry before he could start it. He struggled against the hand, which was attached to a large man's body.

'So this is how it ends. It ends with me dying without helping my friend and letting her die. It ends with me being suffocated by an unknown force and probably left in a alleyway to rot.' He thought, 'I hope Yukiko's wish is granted at least.'

'It has child of sight.' A voice said in his head. He was startled even more, but his body continued to relax and he fell to the ground.

* * *

Slowly he became aware that he was not on planet earth anymore. He felt light and looked down at himself; he was transparent. A ghost he decided he had become. He looked around at the creamy golden clouds; so this is what heaven looks like he thought.

A chuckle. 'Not quite, boy.' The same voice in his head went. From nowhere a white fox with black markings that meant nothing to him arrived. Its many tails were still and glided with it smoothly like a polished floor while it moved. The fox had an odd sense of grace about it, and sat in front of him with a grin that foxes's usually have.

'Please, I do ask you to sit. I prefer being taller then the one I'm talking too.' The fox asked its mouth unmoving. Watanuki found himself mechanically moving to sitting on the ground in front of this being.

'Thank you, Watanuki.' It said. He opened his mouth to speak but found it closed no matter what he tried to do.

'Open your mind, Watanuki, open your mind.' The fox told him. He concentrated and the fox shook his head.

'Not like you would for a test, open it like you would for a meditation.' The foxes's voice, he assumed told him. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

'How do you know my name?' he asked his eyes tightly shut.

'I know all that goes on, especially since it involves one of my followers and his priestess.' He said.

'Yami… he's your follower?' he asked.

'Of course, all foxes assigned to a shrine, priest or priestess are my followers. That's how it works.' The foxes' voice, he had decided, told him.

'Then what is Yukiko?' he asked.

'It depends, Watanuki it depends. Now open your eyes, it's quite difficult to hold a conversation with someone, when they won't look you in the eyes.' The fox asked.

His eyes snapped open expecting something, anything. But he still found himself sitting in front of the white fox with black markings, on the creamy golden clouds in a place that seemed like heaven. Nothing had changed, but he felt like it had.

'This isn't heaven, Watanuki.' The voice said. He looked at the fox startled.

'Yes, Watanuki I'm reading your thoughts and answering your silent questions. And yes, I am the fox and the voice 'in your head'.' The fox said.

'Why do you say that so… sarcastically?' he asked. The fox chucked and his whole chest moved.

'Because it isn't true. What your hearing is what this entire plane I've set up sounds like.'

'Plane? As in another dimension; like that kind of plane?' he asked startled. The fox rolled it's head to each side as if deciding the answer.

'More or less yes.' He replied.

'So where are we exactly.'

'Another-

'Beside the fact that we're in another plane.' The fox's eyes darkened then brightened.

'We are in a plane within your subconscious, out of your body, below heaven but above the earth and hell.' The fox replied with his carefully crafted answer.

'So… I'm not in my physical body.'

'That would be correct.'

'So… I'm unconscious.' Watanuki asked trying to make sense of it all.

'More or less.' The fox answered.

'What do you mean by that?' he asked worried for his breathing human life.

'I mean to say that you're on the borderline of just being unconscious and being in a vegetable like state and or coma.' The fox said.

'WHAT?!? I'M ALMOST A HUMAN VEGATABLE?!?' he cried. The fox's ears flattened against his head.

'There's no need to yell, I'm right in front of you.' It said.

'BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MY LIFE HANGING IN THE BALANCE HERE! GET ME BACK TO MY BODY!' he demanded hitting his fist against the cloud to find it surprisingly hard. The fox regained a serious composure.

'I'm afraid I can't let you do that.' It said in it's same serious, sexless, and overall more powerful voice.

'And why the hell not?' he cried.

'Because you'll interfere with hitsugen, and we can't be having that.' The fox informed him.

'The hitsugen of what?' Watanuki asked.

'Of Yukiko of course.' The fox answered. His statement took Watanuki back.

'If I was conscious…' he started, 'it would be bad for Yukiko?' he asked.

'It would have had adverse affects on her destiny.' The fox nodded.

'So you stopped me, so it wouldn't happen.' He said slowly. The fox nodded.

'Yes.'

'So you were the man with the hand?' he asked. The fox's brows furrowed.

'I was of the belief that all men had hands, but yes I was the one that stopped your crying out to her.' He said.

'So you stopped her hitsugen from being altered.' Watanuki said. The fox did not reply but looked to his left towards the sky.

'Our time here is nearly up, Watanuki.' The fox said.

'But I have so much more to ask you about Yukiko!' he cried, his voice seemingly lost on the fox. The clouds started to vanish into nothing in front of his eyes and the fox progressed back to where it had appeared.

'What's your name?' he tried one more time, fighting the light that blinded him now. The fox turned with a grin to him revealing the invisible door from which he had come. Spirits of all sorts lay behind it, with many foxes all bowing to the spirit. A faint echo went thought his head with and 'I' sound to it, but he awoke before he could understand.


	14. Chapter 14: The God Knows All

His eyes fluttered open to be met with a stone faced Domoki, a worried Himawari, a nearly drunk Yuko, and a fluffy Mokena.

"What happened?" he asked not daring to move his head. He could already feel it throbbing horribly. They all shrugged indifferently.

"Who knows? Who cares? You just appeared at the door completely knocked out and soaking wet." Yuko said cheekily. Watanuki's face turned into a grimace as he felt his his eye twitch.

'I DO!" he shouted as everyone covered their ears at his shout. The next several minutes were used to rehash what everyone knew and fill in Watanuki what had happened.

'And what about Yukiko?' he asked finally. Everyone hung there heads.

'No news of anyone in the hospital because of the storms.' Himawari said quietly.

'She's being treated at the shrine.' Yuko said knowingly. 'Inari would never let one of his followers die before they were ordained too.' She added swiftly.

And before anything more could be added to the subject Domoki and Himawari were up and getting prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" Watanuki asked.

"Home, I still have duties to perform." Domoki replied.

"I have homework, silly." Himawari giggled. "We decided that we'd stay until you woke up and knew that you were fine before leaving and well; you're fine." Domoki gave a curt nod in agreement confirming that all that she had said was true. He waved goodbye and headed out the door quickly.

"See you tomorrow at school Watanuki!" Himawari said with a giggle as she too left from the shop into the darkening city. Watanuki was sitting up in bed wondering what else there was to be done.

"Sleep, you need rest for tomorrow," Yuko said softly, "Especially since you skipped out on today's work!" She laughed with Mokena bounding after her as she disappeared for the rest of the night. Watanuki then decided the best corse of action was to sleep it off.

* * *

'Well hello Watanuki." The fox greeted.

"Hello." he replied as he observed the spot they were in. It looked oddly similar to somewhere he had been before, with tons of foxes playing around.

"How are you faring? I hope I didn't cause any damage" the fox said.

"Damage? Wait… You're the one who knocked me out and took me back to the shop!?!' he cried. The fox's ears flattened against his head.

"I thought I told you not to yell. I'm right here." He said.

"That's not the point!" she said quietly.

"Fine, yes I already told you I knocked you out. And yes I took you back to the shop." The fox replied.

"Why?"

"Because it seemed like the logical thing to do. I had no where else to take you." He said calmly.

"What about Yukiko?" Watanuki asked.

"Ahh her, the poor dear." The fox nodded sadly.

"What about her?" he asked curiously.

"She's- well I'd rather not say." The fox declined politely.

"Please, " he begged, "I really want to know what happened to her." The fox sighed and glanced up from looking at the ground.

"She's in critical condition." He replied. Watanuki's heart almost stopped.

"She may or may not make it out alive." The fox continued. Watanuki's mouth dried as it dropped.

"And I can't read her hitsugen anymore." The fox stated. Watanuki went limp. He quickly sprang up remembering.

"But aren't you suppose to keep her from passing before her time?" he questioned. The fox nodded.

"So you're Inari." Watanuki said surprised.

"Yes, who else would I be?" Inari replied.

"So according to the legend I've heard about Yukiko shouldn't die before her twentieth birthday."

"..."

"So that means she isn't in any real danger." Watanuki stated, relieving himself of that worry.

"Not necessarily." Inari said. Sharply Watanuki's attention was brought back to the god.

"What do you mean?"

"That curse is meant to make sure the priest or priestess is killed off by their twentieth birthday. It doesn't prevent them from dying sooner then that." Inari said. He solemnly shook his head at the ground, "and to think I even gave her a safe guard."

"What safe guard?" Watanuki asked.

"It doesn't matter now since she rid herself of it." He replied. It was then that a familiar friend came into the yard.

"Yami-"

"Silence and goodbye Watanuki. Perhaps we'll meet again." Inari said as the landscape collapsed and Watanuki awoke.

* * *

"I've made up my mind." He said the next day at lunch. He'd just finished explaining all the learned information to Domoki and Himawari.

"And?"

"We're going to see her." He said. Domoki shrugged and Himawari just nodded. Before he could ask why they weren't rebelling against him like last time. The bell rang and they dispersed to they're appropriate classes.

* * *

It was a struggled to walk up to the shrine. It was even more so when they reached the door. All the while in each of their heads a voice cried, "Turn back! Turn back and leave her be!" But they ignored it powered by each other's resistance.

One knock was all it took for the young man Watanuki had talked to earlier, to come and bring them down the maze of hallways and foxes. The most intimidating part was when they reached the smooth wooden door with a single black paw print on it. From inside they could hear the cooing of female voices, yelps, whimpers, and cries of agony.

"Yukiko.." the young man started after knocking.

"DON'T YOU DARE OPEN THAT DOOR!" she yelled viciously.

"But they're…"

"I DON'T CARE! WHATEVER OR WHOEVER THEY ARE; THEY'RE POISEN TO ME! IF YOU WANT ME TO LIVE KEEP THAT DOOR SHUT AND GET THEM OUT!!!" she yelled, screaming louder then ever. The young man was overdriven with worry and opened the door. Yukiko was doubled over on her bed the kimono Yuko had given her tied to her. Blood dribbled from her mouth and Yami furiously licked it up.

The family members were of no help and offered no assistance. They were merely spectators for her, and runners to get her things she demanded.

Sharply and with black eyes Yukiko looked up. "GODDAMMI-" she started. Her expression changed to that of someone passing out. Her eyes turned clear and her body fell from the bed to the wooden floor with a dull thud.

Yami started yelping and changing sizes. The rest of the foxes burst into the door cramming it to extremes. Some just gathered around, other tried to get people out, sever dove into Yukiko's body, and others sat and watched.

The commotion was to much as suddenly everyone else jumped into action and several started to give orders. From Yukiko's ears came torrents of blood that stained the once clean floors.

Himawari, Domoki and Watanuki were forced out of the house completely. Sirens were heard in the distance above the cries and screams from the house. All the other spirits in the yard fled or were thrown completely into a panic.

The trio stood outside the shrine and just watched with blank expressions taking every detail in until the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances came and started shooing bystanders like themselves away. Watanuki led them across the street where they continued to watch until the whole block was forced to evacuate.

From there they walked together, but silently to Domoki's shrine. The news was boring and homework went fast. No news on Yukiko or any shrine for that matter.

When night finally came, Himawari and Watanuki left silently without saying goodbyes. The scene at the black fox shrine said enough.

Inari came once again to Watanuki in his sleep. Quietly, in the first place they had met. Watanuki was oddly silent.

"How are you?" Inari asked.

"Fine." He said blankly.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Why do people die?" Watanuki asked.

"To fulfill their lives." Inari replied.

"Why do people receive illness?"

"Because it is part of their hitsugen."

"Why do we cry?"

"To further elaborate our emotions."

"Why must we be so-"

"led on by hitsugen?" Inari filled in. Watanuki nodded.

"Because it is the way of things." Inari replied.

"How can you stand it?" Watanuki asked.

"Stand what?" Inari asked back.

"Stand going between the realm of the gods and earth? How can stand to watch as countless numbers of your followers are injured, or infected with illness, or dying?" he asked.

"Because I know they love me, and I know I love them. And when they die they come back to me to reborn again." He replied.

"What about your lovers?" he asked. Inari stared at him strangely.

"I was told that you have many lovers both male and female on earth since you can't have them in heaven." Watanuki said.

"I chose those people to become my next followers." Inari replied. "Those people love me so much they wish to follow me forever, always reborn to help me since they cannot be with me forever in heaven."

"What about people like Yukiko?" Watanuki asked.

"Yukiko was born knowing her past lives and knowing that she can't escape her fate. She knew that and accepted it. Her release shall be soon." Inari replied.

"Release-" Watanuki voice was gone and the realm started to shift.

"You'll see Watanuki. You'll see." Inari said before, like always, disappearing before he woke up.


	15. Chapter 15: She's not the same

What was there to say? To do? Nothing; there was nothing to anything with. It was like she was wiped off the planet. There were no records of her at school, or any school for that matter. She wasn't registered as being born at any hospital, and there wasn't a single photograph, news article, letter, squat on her. She wasn't registered to any hospital as a patient anywhere either. She was gone from all records.

Unless that is, Watanuki found the strange box of records from the old tale. Which, Watanuki planned on doing.

"Leaving?" Yuko asked nonchalantly.

"Yup, I'll see you tomorrow." He said walking out. Once the door slammed shut Yuko looked over her shoulder.

"He's inviting trouble." Yuko said aloud to no one.

"Watanuki's doing what?" Mokena asked bounding up.

"If he continues this way, it will spell the end." Yuko said.

"The end of what?" Mokena asked

"The end of what? The end of what!" Mero and Moro chanted.

"Nothing my dears," she cooed at them her attention once more back on the three things that inhabited the shop. She was disappointed that her sake cup was empty and she couldn't make herself get up to go get more.

* * *

"Excuse me." Watanuki started as the door creaked open.

"No." the woman said slamming it shut as soon as she saw his face. Watanuki stared, shocked at how the woman had treated him. He hadn't done anything to harm her, and wasn't asking for any trouble.

The boy that had been with Yukiko before came forward from sweeping the steps.

"Watanuki?" the boy asked timidly. The two boys struck up a conversation in the back of the shrine where a young white fox joined them.

"Is that fox yours?" Watanuki asked pointing.

"What fox?" the boy asked. Watanuki stared at the fox and the fox stared back. The fox smiled and flicked its tail.

"Never mind, do you know what happened to Yukiko?" he asked. The boy shook his head slowly.

"She's at a hospital across town. Everything is extremely hush-hush, and on the down low. Only three doctors and two nurses even know she's there." He said quietly.

"How's her condition?" Watanuki asked glad to a degree that she was still alive, but scared of what could be happening.

"As of today it's stable; she's unconscious and slowly dieing they say."

"Who says?" Watanuki asked.

"The family members, mostly her mother."

Watanuki gripped his hair in confusion. This was getting all too twisted and needed something, anything to make him feel better.

"Are they allowing visitors?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know; she never had anyone who would want to visit her."

Watanuki stood up knowing what he had to do now. He thanked the young man for his help and proceeded to continue on. There was only one woman he knew that would have the answers, no matter how bad they might be.

"Back so soon?" Yuko asked. Watanuki stood as straight and tall as he could.

"About Yukiko…" he started.

"Taken a liking to her?" Yuko interrupted.

"What?" He asked a confused look posed on his face.

"Do you find her attractive or something?" Yuko continued.

"NO! I only love my precious-" He started to defend himself desperately.

"Then why do you care so much about her?" Yuko asked.

"What's bringing this on?" Watanuki asked taking a chair.

"I asked first." Yuko said childishly.

"Well-" Watanuki thought about. He really didn't know. He certainly would say Yukiko wasn't attractive, but he wasn't attracted to her in that way. It was a certain degree of… kinship. It was that they shared somewhat similar struggles. But he knew Yuko wouldn't buy that load of garbage. It was then that it made sense.

"I guess, I thought she had a wish you could actually grant with no repercussion, and no odd dilemmas." Watanuki said. Yuko nodded.

"Do you still feel that way now?" she asked.

Watanuki thought back to all the odd events that had happened all the waves, her condition, the foxes, the stories, Inari, everything all together. No, it was not a simple wish like he'd thought. It was one of the most complicated wishes he'd even encountered.

"It's one of the most complicated wishes of all." He breathed.

"Correct. Freedom, or 'Release' as Yukiko put it; is one of the most difficult wishes to grant." Yuko said.

"How is it difficult?" Watanuki thought. At school they made freedom seem like such a basic and simple thing. Something that was easily attained and was hard to take away.

"School fills you with the nonsense of freedom being something easy to get, and something to fight for right?" she started. He nodded.

"Freedom is someone only a select few have, something that fades over time but is born into each of us. Yukiko was not born as such; she was… how to put this lightly… Yukiko was born 'unfree'." Yuko said.

"'Unfree'? We all have freedom I get, but how does it fade? How is she 'unfree'?" Watanuki asked.

"We grow up." Said Yuko.

A distant look came into her eyes as she continued. "Just think about it for a minute. When you were younger you had more freedom then you do now. You were able to make mistakes and not be punished, get away with more, learn. You could stay out late and still had dreams of being a superhero and such.

As you grow up you lose that. You lose that freedom. You have responsibilities, which restrict that freedom. School, work, jobs, friends, ideals, morals, those all constrict your freedom. They tie you down. With nearly everything nowadays comes responsibility, and with responsibility comes another thing keeping you from freedom. Having a lack of freedom, is with you most of your life." She paused letting it all sink in.

"However you can regain that freedom with old age. When you age to where you are frail you regain it bit by bit. Your childhood memories come back, you aren't required to do as much, and you're taken care of once again. To a degree you become a child again." She said.

"Nostalgia, the feeling you get when watching an old favorite movie, or recall happy memories from the past is a way at any age to regain your freedom. Yukiko isn't able to do that." Yuko finished.

"Why not?" Watanuki asked.

"She has no past of happiness. She was an outcast by her mother, and shrine until Yami became her fox. She has no future to look forward too. She'll be lucky to live to the age of twenty." Yuko stated.

"So she's always been 'unfree'." Watanuki said, recalling the past conversations with Yukiko about her childhood. It had not been a pleasant one since she was always in and out of hospitals.

"There's only one way to be completely free in her case." Yuko said.

"What?" Watanuki asked. Yuko shook her head.

"You'll see." She said walking away.

""Tell me, Yuko!" Watanuki demanded.

"YUKO!" he screamed.

"YUKO!!!" he screamed once more. He knew it was the truth, whatever it was that made someone completely free; Yukiko would find it soon.

Watanuki then headed out to visit the hospital where Yukiko was. It was across town, but he'd mange to get there. He wanted to see her, just once more.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, it's winding to a close. Please all those who have this on story alert but haven't reviewed please review! Just once, so I can feel better about ending it. I don't think I'm asking for much. And feel free to put in your guessed about how it ends too.


	16. Chapter 16: Hospitals aren't relaxing

"So this is it?" Himawari asked. Watanuki nodded.

"This is where you dragged us too?" Domoki asked as well. Watanuki nodded again.

"This is where we need to go." He replied. Domoki nodded staring at the elite looking building. There wasn't one nearly as tall as it for miles around.

"Do you know where she is?" Domoki asked. He turned to Domoki with a sheepish grin.

"She's where all princesses are."

"In the tallest tower locked away." Himawari completed craning her neck to see the top.

"And you have no idea if she's really up there or not." Domoki said staring at Watanuki.

"OF COURSE SHE'S THERE!" he shouted getting mad and drawing attention to the group. Bystanders stopped and stared at the trio. Before any of them got another word in they ran off.

"We're going to have to do this the hard way since you blew doing this the easy way." Domoki grumbled as they made their way to the back door.

* * *

Fifty-five flights of stairs later….

"I've seen more then enough stairs for the rest of my life." Watanuki panted as they crept on the floor. Himawari peeked out the door. No doctors, nurses, or staff so she signaled them in.

"It's your fault for blowing our cover." Domoki replied stone-faced.

"Here it is." Himawari replied. The door was a normal looking door, besides the fact that it had a gold plate on it with 'Yukiko' inscribed on it.

Watanuki's hand shook. He had a horrible feeling they shouldn't go in. They should go back and never return. It was the same feeling he got when they went to the shrine last time. And frankly, it filled his gut with dread so horrifying that it made him want to throw up.

"Hurry up," Domoki said nudging him. Watanuki twisted the knob and went in.

The room was a pale peach color, not white. The curtains billowed lightly at the breeze drifting in. The tiles matched the curtains, and the bed to a degree and were a polished. In the corner was a table and two chairs with a meal untouched. There was another table near the bed with a simpler meal untouched as well. The bed was a red oak bed with black and red comforters on it snuggling a frail looking girl.

"Yukiko?" he breathed speaking all their thoughts aloud.

This was not the Yukiko they knew. The Yukiko they knew was playful and tricky like the foxes she was with cold and standoffish at times, but good natured and cared for her friends. Yami was beside her resting his head when his eyes popped open. He stared at them raising his head, then returned to rest. Yukiko or the girl that looked like Yukiko was barely breathing.

This girl was frail and deathly pale white. Her eyes, though closed, looked hollow and shrunk into her head. There were dark circle even though she was sleeping, and her lips were off set with their chapped but almost split so there was some degree of color to them. Her neck was thin and looked like it was barely able to support her head. Her hair splayed out around her giving her an oddly angelic look to her.

Himawari took a chair and searched for Yukiko's hand amongst the blankets. She found it smaller then her own, and with every bone and artery showing. Himawari reached for it, Yami watching, but Watanuki stopped her.

"Let's just wait for a second. Make sure this is really her." He said. They shifted some more blankets around, and came across her kimono. The red and black one with flowers on it still wrapped as if Yuko had wrapped it so long it seemed, ago.

"She looks so…" Himawari started.

"Emaciated." Domoki finished. Himawari shook her head tears in her eyes.

"Yes." She replied. Watanuki took the chair closest to Yukiko and took her hand.

It was nearly ice.

The sudden warmth however caused a stirring, one that completely changed Yukiko appearance. Her thin hand grew fuller and was warm. Her face tanned, and blush crept onto her cheeks and her lips became full like a doll. The dark circles disappeared as her black eyes opened.

"Watanuki?" she asked staring at him. He nodded. She smiled brightly childlike.

"And Himawari and Domoki too!" she exclaimed excited about it all.

"What brings you here? Why are we here? There's so many gaps in my memory!" she rambled, as the trio blindly nodded with her. She kept going on about how hyper she was, and how hungry until she saw Yami.

"Yami!!" she exclaimed even louder then before, squeezing the life out of the poor fox.

"So yeah, I've been talking to much. What brings you guys here? And what's going on?" she asked.

"You're in the hospital." Watanuki started. Her smiled dampened.

"Hospital? For what? I feel fine." She replied releasing Yami.

"You were injured and were sent here, unregistered." Watanuki continued monotone. He had a bad feeling that if he kept talking something would happen to her. Something in this room, by whatever magic was at work would break and undo it all.

"Injured doing- ugh" she said touching her head.

"Are you okay?" Watanuki asked. She winced.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My head just twitched or something." She replied trying to rub it off. "Keep going." She smiled.

"Do you remember your wish?" Watanuki asked. She nodded, before clutching her head.

"Argg-" she said her face twisting in pain.

"Yukiko?" Himawari asked. "AH!" her face twisted even more before turning blank like she was watching something replay in her eyes.

"Yukiko!" Watanuki exclaimed.

"Yukiko?" Himawari asked.

"Yukiko." Stated Domoki.

"Time's up." Replied a familiar voice. Yuko appeared with Mokena at her side. She swished her way to where they all gathered around.

From blank eyes, tears escaped and trailed down Yukiko's face.

"Do you know what this means Yukiko?" Yuko asked in her ear. Nothing, but Yuko stepped back as if having heard her reply. She drew the fox handled sword.

"I suggest you don't look." Yuko replied as the trio moved behind her. Yuko let it fall from her hand, but it stopped mid fall and started acting on it's own accord. The hand turned to face Yukiko's forehead, and the open jawed fox pressed into her forehead blending with the skin and going in deeper. Yukiko's eyes slowly returned to the blackness of before.

"Any final words?" Yuko asked. Yukiko smiled through her tears.

"Thank you all so much, for everything." Yukiko replied taking one last look at her friends. She nodded at Yuko. Yuko nodded back, and took the sword by it's blade drawing it out. It slipped through with ease until it was out, in the fox's jaws was a black gem.

Yukiko fell back onto her pillows her eyesight fading from black to every color in between. She didn't seem to pick up that any of them were there.

Yuko turned to Yami. "I suppose you'll be wanting this." She said to him, holding the sword. The black fox grinned widely like the Cheshire cat. It nodded before taking the handled in its jaws playfully. Yuko dropped it without a second glance and it was gone into the depths of Yami.

Yami grinned when it was gone and nuzzled Yukiko hand that was frozen in mid air, as the colors started to fade into grey.

"Good luck." Yuko said.

Yami nodded and sat down, disappearing into nothing as Yukiko's eyes slowly faded to white.


	17. Chapter 17: Some wishes are

It was declared later the next day that Head Priestess Yukiko of the black fox shrine had passed away at the hospital of brain damage. The wake was to be held a week later.

Watanuki was shocked by it all. He withdrew himself from everyone and everything. Sure, he woke up, went to school, had lunch, more school, work, then bed, repeat. He went through the motions but he didn't really seem to be living.

It made no sense. Her wish should've been granted, right? She paid her price, everything should have been fine. He spent hours pouring over the single contract in his free time, memorizing each and every line and word. It was amazing that he could concentrate for so long on one thing.

The wake was fast approaching, so he made the proper arrangements. He rented out a black suit, and ironed a white hankie he owned. Quietly he ordered a single black rose, for the funeral. And after many conversations on the phone, he managed to get a guest speaker spot for her wake.

The day arrived, and he met Himawari and Domoki at the door, with Yuko and Mokena behind him. The dead couldn't be punished further. Everything was still as they came in. It was only the family, and other shrines priests and priestesses, yet here came strangers to pray for her soul.

Watanuki couldn't bear to go near the coffin. Not with all these people watching and judging him. So he made small talk here and there, until it was time for the speakers. First Yukiko's grandmother, then her mother, the boy who was with her at the mall and finally it was his turn. Watanuki slowly got up and made his way through the crowd all eyes pinned to him.

'I met Yukiko at the mall one day on accident. She had fallen down the stairs, and had drawn the crowd's attention to her. I noticed all the cuts, and disfigurements that she desperately tried to hide. I also noticed how graceful she otherwise seemed and it didn't add up. However, after signing the contract I started to get the whole story, the real story.' He started, 'In exchange for her wish, she was to protect me from the 'waves'. She did so, and as she did so I came to grow on her and her on me. We didn't always see eye to eye on everything, no one truly can. She and I however seemed to be similar in many ways that it frightened me. Yukiko had unlimited powers, and with her wish being granted she seemed invincible.'

He paused forcing his eyes to reject the tears and hold them in before starting again. 'It was only when I learned what her price was that I realized how fragile she truly was. She had never had friends before. She had never been accepted for who she was before. It was something that I gave her along with her wish. I realized how much one change, one wish, could bring. It was that change that killed her. I killed her.'

The audience gasped at this whispering amongst one another. He cleared his throat.

'I did not kill her by stabbing her, shooting her, or anything like that.' He stated, 'I killed her with my kindness. I became too close to her that I couldn't fulfill my end of the bargain for her wish to be freed of those wounds. I just had to see her; I had too.'

'I was with her when she took her last breath and said her final words. I know how much I, and few others really meant to her. I know the truth of what Yukiko really wanted.' He said letting it all sink in.

'Yukiko, I will never forget you for as long as I live. You will be missed. I only hope you will greet me when it's my time to come.' Watanuki finished. He walked away from the podium, without a single person clapping.

The burial was quite, and the mourning began.

* * *

'Why?' Watanuki asked a month later.

'Why what?' Yuko asked.

"Why did she have to die? She paid her price, so should have had her wish granted.'

'But it was.'

Watanuki stared at her startled, and trying to contain the tears the fell freely from his eyes.

'She got rid of her 'curse'.'

'But she died.'

'That curse was the only thing keeping her alive, Watanuki.' Yuko replied. He continued to stare.

'Sometimes, the things that happen to us are meant to protect us, no matter how much harm they cause. Curses stop people, and that's what that curse was trying to do. By removing it, she hastened her own death.' Yuko said.

'BUT-'

'Some people's wishes aren't meant to come true. Some things are honestly not meant to be. Yukiko's curse coming undone wasn't meant to be, but the power of the human wish is strong enough to break such things.' She informed him. He continued to stare.

'Some wishes end in death guaranteed.' She said on a softer note. Watanuki was crying full force, without a sound.

'Some wishes aren't meant to come true.'


End file.
